Project Title: Arduino-based Autonomous Underwater Monitoring Robot

Proponents: Alexander Jerome P. Ison

Ethan Gumabay

Vince M. Visitacion

Significance: This study aims to help the development of underwater marine exploration and

monitoring. Marine exploration can benefit from this by analyzing gathered data

to use for prevention of imbalance in the condition of the monitored water. This

study attempts to make an easy alternative underwater monitoring system. It may

also help to locate impurities in water content and possibly incoming

abnormalities in bodies of water. It also helps to measure the depth of monitored

bodies of water. Lastly, for the future researchers, this may set an initial idea for

further innovation of the same line of research.

Objectives: The researchers intend to determine the success of a prototype to complete a

mission to monitor in the ocean. Specifically, the study to achieve the following

goals:

1) Make a working waterproofed prototype that work autonomously.

2) Collect data from the sensors and determine the conditions of the water.

3) Contribute to the expansion of marine exploration of the different bodies of

water.

4) Make an efficient design of the prototype that use less energy to operate
Hypotheses: The researchers have one set of null and alternative hypotheses because the

researchers want to answer the goals stated in the statement of the problem.

SET A:

1) Ho : The underwater monitoring robot will not successfully execute the given

command /program of monitoring a specific body of water.

2) Ha : The underwater monitoring robot will successfully execute the given

command / program of monitoring a specific body of water.

SET B:

1) Ho : The sensors to be used will not be calibrated properly, collect and store

the acquired data from the specific bodies of water.

2) Ha : The sensors to be used will be calibrated properly, collect and store the

acquired data from the specific bodies of water.

Review of Related Literature

There has been much work in the fields of AUVs, their control and navigation,

underwater communications, sensors and docking [1]. In a 2000 survey [2], it was estimated that

over 1,000 robotic underwater vehicles operate worldwide in industry, military and research

applications. A small but growing portion of these are semi-autonomous or autonomous robots.

AUVs in general face severe navigation challenges since GPS is not available underwater. There

have been three types of navigation systems for underwater robots, which rely on different

sensors: (1) dead-reckoning and inertial navigation, (2) acoustic, and (3) geophysical navigation
[3]. Visual feature tracking has also been employed, in particular on the Kambara project [4].

Others have found that combining sensor information, such as conventional long baseline

acoustic sensing and Doppler velocity measurements, can improve underwater navigation [5].

Optical guidance systems, which give precise resolution at very short distances, have been used

for the AUV’s close-range homing and docking abilities. In [6] an optical quadrant tracker locks

onto a light source for docking, as demonstrated underwater on a SeaGrant Odyssey IIB [7].

Alternatively, long baseline and ultra-short baseline acoustic beacons have also been used for

docking [8]. Recently there has been interest in deploying multiple robots, in particular for

oceanographic research applications. The Serafina project [9] explores large-scale formation

control issues with multiple small, agile AUVs. Gliders such as Seaglider [10] are designed to

dive to a pre-programmed depth and resurface whilst taking scientific measurements. These

robots are capable of travelling thousands of kilometres in a triangular depth profile. Gliders

have also been used in cooperative multi-AUV control research [11]. Such research is motivated

by collaborative oceanographic research projects such as the Autonomous Ocean Sampling

Network II [12]. It is becoming more important for the robots to be able to assist in the

deployment of, or to act as parts of, such largescale data-collecting networks. A small submarine

[13] has been proposed as a sensor in such a network. The robot houses a Mote sensor and can

control its own depth. In addition, some attempts have been made to create modular underwater

robots. Inspired by eels [14] or lampreys [15], these are smaller-scale biomimetic robots whose

modules are permanently joined in one configuration.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is classified as one of the

world’s seven natural wonders. The Great Bamer Reef Marine

Park Authority manages a vast area which extends approximately 2000 km and covers 349,000

sq km. However, this

enormous ecosystem is dynamic, it is changing, and monitoring is considered an essential task in

understanding how long

it will remain in its current “pristine” state.

Due to the vast size of the reef, effective and efficient

monitoring tools are required. Currently, divers perform the

monitoring and survey tasks; typically video transects along

pre-planned trajectories, biomass identification and water quality monitoring. However, this is

extremely time consuming

and expensive with weather conditions often dictating when

and how long surveys can be performed. Also divers have

a safe working depth limiting them to no greater than 20m.

Therefore, a reliable alternative is required which can extend

the effectiveness of current survey methods and allow long-term autonomous monitoring.

There are a number of remotely operated (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV‘s)

performing monitoring tasks [I]. However, these are generally large and expensive.

They also generally avoid the highly unstructured reef enviMore recent research platforms are

investigating autonomous navigation techniques. Typically, the sensors used on

AUV’s are sonar. inertial, pressure, and underwater telemetry

to provide reference geometry. However, to achieve the desired accuracy these sensors are

generally sophisticated and expensive pieces of hardware.

Methodology

I. Acquisition of Materials

The different sensors, board and materials such as Arduino Uno,

Temperature Sensor, Water Pressure Sensor, pH sensor, GPS module, Limit

Sensor, Solderless Breadboard, Quad Half H-Bridge, Electric Gear Motor, Limit

Switch, Power Source, syringes and other necessary tools and materials will be

prepared.

II. Construction of Circuit

The Arduino, different sensors, and necessary materials will be used to

build a connection between all the components making the desired circuit for the

experiment.

III. Construction of the Buoyancy Engine

The syringes, electric gear motor, and (framework material) will be used

to create the buoyancy engine.

IV. Construction and Water-Proofing of the Body of the Prototype

The (materials for the body) will be used to build the overall body of the

robot. The water proofing will be done by sealing the contact points of two parts

or more.
V. Installing of Buoyancy Engine to the Body

The buoyancy engine will be placed on the front of the body. Intake holes

for the syringe will be made and secured.

VI. Installing of Circuit to the Body

The circuit will be placed on the back part of the body.

VII. Checking of Continuity of the Circuit

A test will be run to check if all the sensors and boards are communicating

properly.

VIII. Water Proofing of the Circuit

The circuit will be incased to prevent water damage while ensuring all

connection are secured.

IX. Testing

Different conditions of water will be used to test the sensors of the prototype. A

full submersion of the prototype will be used to test the waterproofing of the

prototype. The water submersion will be used to test how the prototype execute

the command of the program. The data will be gathered and interpreted.
 Time Table

Bibliography

Manjunatha, M., et. al. (2018). Procedia Computer Science 133 (2018) 108–115.

Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187705091830958X/pdf?md5=859ddfd643cd

8d2288fe1ab7121497c2&pid=1-s2.0-S187705091830958X-main.pdf

Mehta, A., Nautiyal S. (June, 2015). Autonomous Underwater Surveillance Robot.

Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322356748_Autonomous_Underwater_Surveillance_R

obot
 Kumar Deb, S., et. al. (September, 2017). Design and Construction Of An Underwater

robot. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322516783_Design_and_construction_of_an_underwat

er_robot

Maehle, E., Meyer, B., Renner C. (2016). Versatile Sensor and Communication

Expansion Set For The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Monsun. Retrieved from

https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/9789813149137_0031

Whitcomb L., Yoerger D.R., Singh H., Howland J. (2000). Advances in Underwater

Robot Vehicles for Deep Ocean Exploration: Navigation, Control, and Survey Operations. In:

Hollerbach J.M., Koditschek D.E. (eds) Robotics Research. Springer, London

Dunbabin M., Usher K., Corke P. (2006). Visual Motion Estimation for an Autonomous

Underwater Reef Monitoring Robot. In: Corke P., Sukkariah S. (eds) Field and Service Robotics.

Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, vol 25. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

Dunbabin, M.D, Corke, Peter, Vasilescu, I., & Rus, D. (2006). Data Muling Over

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. In

Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA

2006., IEEE, Orlando, Florida, pp. 2091-2098