Research Tools
As part of any engineering endeavor, extensive research must first be performed to understand the context of the problem and to gain an appreciation of past work performed and topics investigated by other professionals. In order to gain such an understanding, the team utilized the Web of Science™ and JSTOR databases as well as the ASME Digital Collection and IEEE Xplore® indices to find peer-reviewed research papers, conference briefings, and other reports.
Subsequent to determining the background of the project, the team began searching for accredited codes and standards. Codes are typically defined as a set of commonly accepted rules dictating what must be done for a given design problem. Though not technically legally binding, they often serve as a strong recommendation for others to follow. Standards, on the other hand, provide instruction on how to execute their related codes. When consulting relevant codes and standards, the team looked to organizations such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) and other similar associations.
Required Resources
Fabrication tools:
These are based on the general tools in the shop which we will have access to and therefore may utilize. As we progress further into prototyping we will have a better idea of the tools necessary to meet our goals.
- Lathes & mills
- Power drills
- Angle grinders
- Dremel tools
- Soldering irons
- Welding machines
Raw Materials:
- Steels
- Polymers
- Potentially hazardous chemicals
- Paints
- Solvents
- Glues
- Cleaners
- Hydraulic fluids
- Etc.
- Wiring & PCBs
Testing & Analysis equipment:
- Multimeters
- Oscilloscopes
- MATLAB
- Strain gauges
Required Space and Equipment
HARRT requires two terrains for testing the robot’s swim movement and land movement. The space for testing the land movement is currently intended to be a smooth, indoor surface. Ideally, the legs and wheels should be able to withstand more rigorous terrain, but for the purpose of achieving the minimum viable product of simply traversing on land, local fields and hills, testing on a flat surface will suffice. The primary concern behind our testing space, however, is regarding the swim movement. In order to properly determine the capabilities of the amphibious robot to regulate its depth underwater with the buoyancy sub function, or travel through the water with the use of a centrifugal jet, HARRT requires a large enough water container to demonstrate this. This may come in the form of a swimming pool, or a very large plastic container. Access to this terrain is especially important because a primary obstacle that HARRT will encounter is waterproofing.
Waterproofing will be essential for the success of the robot because the electrical equipment within the robot for all sub functions will need to be protected. Furthermore, the efficiency of the centrifugal jet may be hindered if water is able to naturally penetrate through the walls of the centrifugal pump design. According to the Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures journal, codes and standards that will be necessary for waterproofing will be the second characteristic numerals 4 and 8, which refers to the protection of an object from splashing water and continuous immersion in water, respectively. Given that as the robot navigates through the water, it will experience continuous immersion / splashing from the water surrounding its main hull, these codes / standards were determined to be the most appropriate.
See our Safety Protocols!