SeaPerch ROV
Design Study
High school ROV development and AP Research project covering thruster mounting, buoyancy distribution, printed components, and pool testing.
ROV operating requirements
The ROV navigated submerged hoops and completed object-manipulation tasks. Development addressed thruster alignment, interference with course structures, and buoyancy distribution.
Generation 5.5 revisions included motor mounts, motor housings, nose guards, and printed buoyancy components. Pool tests evaluated rotational balance, linear speed, and course completion time.
Design and research responsibilities
Served as Team Captain and Lead ROV Pilot. Led design iteration, fabrication, and pool testing, and independently authored the approximately 5,000-word AP Research paper. Development included eight nose-guard and four motor-mount variants in CAD and PLA.
Thruster mount redesign
Motor alignment drift
Friction-based ball-and-socket mounts required repeated adjustment after changes in thruster alignment.
Replaced the ball-and-socket arrangement with a pipe-fitting mount. Evaluated attachment geometry and reinforcement to maintain thruster alignment and permit assembly and servicing.
Checked rotational balance with both side thrusters operating before course testing. Observed rotation prompted further alignment adjustment.
Nose-guard prototypes
Evaluated nose-guard geometry for protection, interference with course structures, and buoyancy. Produced successive PLA prototypes with changes to shape and print configuration.
The research also documented revisions to motor housings and printed buoyancy components. Pool observations informed subsequent design changes.
Competition results
Lead ROV Pilot for a second-place finish among 170 teams at the 2023 International SeaPerch Challenge and Southern California regional championships in 2023 and 2024.