Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: CEPH-TEC on June 01, 2014, 12:58:30 AM

Title: Abyss Project
Post by: CEPH-TEC on June 01, 2014, 12:58:30 AM: I'm making a deep sea robot called abyss, it isn't tethered and isn't human controlled. I need a very strong, light material that floats on water and has no air gaps. Can anyone give me any ideas. 8)
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: jkerns on June 05, 2014, 07:17:49 AM: Why would you want the material to float? Most underwater robots are hollow with a space inside for electronics and cameras and... which results in a need to add a denser than water ballast to compensate for the displaced volume. Using a material with a low density would just require even more ballast.
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: CEPH-TEC on June 05, 2014, 04:37:45 PM: Quote from: jkerns on June 05, 2014, 07:17:49 AM
Why would you want the material to float? Most underwater robots are hollow with a space inside for electronics and cameras and... which results in a need to add a denser than water ballast to compensate for the displaced volume. Using a material with a low density would just require even more ballast.
it would be pushed down by propellers, its ment to withstand extreme pressure air gaps would cause it to implode. we had to deside weather we should push it up and sink it down or push it down and float it up. we could save energy with the force of gravity with us and if something was to fail later down we wouldnt need any energy to get it back up. 8)
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: hobbes on June 06, 2014, 01:47:35 AM: how about wood?
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: georgeecollins on June 09, 2014, 07:01:26 PM: Depending on your budget and you could use polycarbonate (and there is a lot of variety), aluminum and carbon fiber. Aluminum doesn't float, but it can be part of a robot that floats, particularly if it encases an air filled chamber with electronics.

Probably it makes sense to make different parts out of different materials. I have been making an underwater robot and I have been using delrin and aluminum.
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: jkerns on June 10, 2014, 07:19:49 AM: A steel shell filled with oil would not have any "air gaps" and would also float.
Title: Re: Abyss Project
Post by: georgeecollins on June 10, 2014, 12:58:10 PM: I wonder how deep you could go with just a propeller pushing a buoyant object down. There are too many unknowns in this description to guess what he has in mind, but I wonder how deep you can really go with a system like that?