FURI | Spring 2019

Vertical Control for Underwater Robotics

Underwater lateral robotic manipulation is used for multidimensional maneuverability for underwater vehicles. Bio-inspired mechanisms were built and tested for buoyancy and lateral position control for an underwater robot. To create a natural buoyancy within the robot, we built fish-like bladders, using air pockets to lower the density. Ballasts displace water between the surrounding water and a containment chamber inside the robot to allowing lateral maneuverability. The ballast is controlled using a PID control meant to control the buoyancy relative to the depth of the water and the center of mass.