Schlagwort: underwater

  • SoFi, the underwater robotic fish

    SoFi, the underwater robotic fish

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    With the Greenland shark finally caught on video for the very first time, scientists and engineers are discussing the limitations of current marine monitoring technology. One significant advance comes from the CSAIL team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): SoFi, the robotic fish.

    A Robotic Fish Swims in the Ocean

    More info: http://bit.ly/SoFiRobot Paper: http://robert.katzschmann.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/katzschmann2018exploration.pdf

    The untethered SoFi robot

    Last week, the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) team at MIT unveiled SoFi, “a soft robotic fish that can independently swim alongside real fish in the ocean.”

    MIT CSAIL underwater fish SoFi using Raspberry Pi

    Directed by a Super Nintendo controller and acoustic signals, SoFi can dive untethered to a maximum of 18 feet for a total of 40 minutes. A Raspberry Pi receives input from the controller and amplifies the ultrasound signals for SoFi via a HiFiBerry. The controller, Raspberry Pi, and HiFiBerry are sealed within a waterproof, cast-moulded silicone membrane filled with non-conductive mineral oil, allowing for underwater equalisation.

    MIT CSAIL underwater fish SoFi using Raspberry Pi

    The ultrasound signals, received by a modem within SoFi’s head, control everything from direction, tail oscillation, pitch, and depth to the onboard camera.

    As explained on MIT’s news blog, “to make the robot swim, the motor pumps water into two balloon-like chambers in the fish’s tail that operate like a set of pistons in an engine. As one chamber expands, it bends and flexes to one side; when the actuators push water to the other channel, that one bends and flexes in the other direction.”

    MIT CSAIL underwater fish SoFi using Raspberry Pi

    Ocean exploration

    While we’ve seen many autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) using onboard Raspberry Pis, SoFi’s ability to roam untethered with a wireless waterproof controller is an exciting achievement.

    “To our knowledge, this is the first robotic fish that can swim untethered in three dimensions for extended periods of time. We are excited about the possibility of being able to use a system like this to get closer to marine life than humans can get on their own.” – CSAIL PhD candidate Robert Katzschmann

    As the MIT news post notes, SoFi’s simple, lightweight setup of a single camera, a motor, and a smartphone lithium polymer battery set it apart it from existing bulky AUVs that require large motors or support from boats.

    For more in-depth information on SoFi and the onboard tech that controls it, find the CSAIL team’s paper here.

    Website: LINK

  • PipeCam: the low-cost underwater camera

    PipeCam: the low-cost underwater camera

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Fred Fourie is building a low-cost underwater camera for shallow deployment, and his prototypes are already returning fascinating results. You can build your own PipeCam, and explore the undiscovered depths with a Raspberry Pi and off-the-shelf materials.

    PipeCam underwater Raspberry Pi Camera

    Materials and build

    In its latest iteration, PipeCam consists of a 110mm PVC waste pipe with fittings and a 10mm perspex window at one end. Previous prototypes have also used plumbing materials for the body, but this latest version employs heavy-duty parts that deliver the good seal this project needs.

    PipeCam underwater Raspberry Pi Camera

    In testing, Fred and a friend determined that the rig could withstand 4 bar of pressure. This is enough to protect the tech inside at the depths Fred plans for, and a significant performance improvement on previous prototypes.

    Inside the pipe are a Raspberry Pi 3, a camera module, and a real-time clock add-on board. A 2.4Ah rechargeable lead acid battery powers the set-up via a voltage regulator.

    Using foam and fibreboard, Fred made a mount that holds everything in place and fits snugly inside the pipe.

    PipeCam will be subject to ocean currents, not to mention the attentions of sea creatures, so it’s essential to make sure that everything is held securely inside the pipe – something Fred has learned from previous versions of the project.

    Software

    It’s straightforward to write time-lapse code for a Raspberry Pi using Python and one of our free online resources, but Fred has more ambitious plans for PipeCam. As well as a Python script to control the camera, Fred made a web page to display the health of the device. It shows battery level and storage availability, along with the latest photo taken by the camera. He also made adjustments to the camera’s exposure settings using raspistill. You can see the effect in this side-by-side comparison of the default python-picam image and the edited raspistill one.

    Underwater testing

    Fred has completed the initial first test of PipeCam, running the device under water for an hour in two-metre deep water off the coast near his home. And the results? Well, see for yourself:

    PipeCam is a work in progress, and you can read Fred’s build log at the project’s Hackaday.io page, so be sure to follow along.

    Website: LINK

  • Underwater Millennium Falcon Formation Continues To Puzzle Divers

    Underwater Millennium Falcon Formation Continues To Puzzle Divers

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    You may remember a year or so back when a deep-sea salvage company discovered something odd at the bottom of the Baltic sea. The team from OceanX jokingly described the object as a UFO, but once the story went viral, many commented on the fact that it kind of looked like the Millennium Falcon. Using side-scan sonar, the object was discovered to be 60 meters in diameter, with a “rigid tail 400 meters long.” Earlier this month divers descended the nearly 300 feet below the surface to photograph the anomaly, and despite a first-hand look and bringing up samples for analysis, they have returned with more questions than answers. You can watch a news report with footage and photos of the expedition below, unfortunately all in Swedish.

    the_baltic_sea_anomaly_by_vaghauk-d4fmkwr

    underwaterufo457ad

    somethingstrangebaltic

     

    Official Source: http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/sci/underwater-millennium-falcon-formation-continues-puzzle-divers.html?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_25441

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-fDimPKYCg#t=89

    http://www.zergnet.com/news/25441/underwater-millennium-falcon-continues-to-puzzle-divers

  • You Won’t Believe How These High-Tech Underwater Headphones Transmit Sound

    You Won’t Believe How These High-Tech Underwater Headphones Transmit Sound

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    Swimmers rejoice! Now when you’re training or just exercising, you can put on a pair of Neptunes headphones and enjoy your favorite tunes. This innovative new technology allows swimmers to listen to music while underwater, by conducting sound through the bones in the human skull.

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    The Neptune headphones send sound waves to the inner ears through swimmer’s cheekbones, resulting in them being able to hear music in their heads.

    The device mimics the way dolphins and whales communicate in the water by transmitting sound vibrations.

    A waterproof mp3 player streams the music which resonates through the bones and into the highly sensitive cochlea part of the ear.

    Official Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2437574/Incredible-underwater-headphones-transmit-music-swimmers-ears-vibrating-sound-cheekbones.html