March 23rd VT KTU exhibit- "SeaPerch: Building an ROV"

Kids will be able to see the steps that go into building a simple Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV). There will be several hands-on activities related to building and operating a SeaPerch ROV. Topics that will be covered are ballasting, motor positioning, and controlling an ROV. Ballasting discusses how the density of an object affects whether it sinks or floats, and how the positioning of floats and weights affects the trim of the ROV. Motor positioning explores how the direction and position of the motor affects the movement of the ROV. Controlling an ROV examines how a simple control box is wired and how different inputs move the ROV.

Like autonomous land vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are equipped with sensors and controls for navigation. These underwater robots also have propulsion and ballast systems. Founded in 2002, Virginia Tech’s AUVT has approximately 30 members representing several engineering disciplines. Each year, the team designs and builds an autonomous submarine to enter in the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Competition in San Diego. In addition to operating without human intervention, the AUVs are required to navigate underwater obstacles, identify targets visually, launch "torpedoes", and locate an acoustic beacon with passive sonar.