Project Description:
There is a lack of inexpensive, lightweight underwater manipulators for small ROV's (remotely operated vehicles) on the current market. Most designs are typically used for welding, are much too heavy / bulky, and cost thousands of dollars. In order to supplement this inadequacy we developed a manipulator that is mountable on a BlueROV 2 Heavy. This manipulator and its end effector were built with the intention of aiding in aquatic research of oysters. Oysters are a good indicator of water health for various aquatic environments. Our manipulator is capable of 4 degrees of freedom, completely IP68 waterproof, and can comfortably lift over half a kilogram.
We have playfully named our project Neptune's Nudge not only for its capability of full submersion for extended periods of time, but also pursuing an arcade theme due to its user-friendly video game controller interface. Our manipulator has been extensively tested underwater, surviving for testing sessions up to two hours long. It has yet to display any noticeable difficulties when lifting ~200g oyster-sized objects from a flat-bed.
