Date of Award

6-10-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2020.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Christopher Kitts

Abstract

The Robotics Systems Lab at Santa Clara University worked closely with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to design and modernize a safe, low-voltage remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and fabricate a shape memory alloy (SMA) triggered water sampler. The scope of this project was split into two parts. The first was to modernize an existing ROV frame and flotation device with low-cost, low-voltage components for depths up to 300ft. The second scope was to design and manufacture a 100ml water sampling system that was mostly mechanical. Due to the onset of COVID-19, the functionality and performance of the ROV was verified and confirmed through extensive Simulink simulations and calculations. The ROV is expected to perform at a translational speed of 2.8 ft/s and a vertical speed of 1.6 ft/s when deployed. The sampler was self-manufactured during the pandemic and successfully took a 135ml sample. After the modernization was complete, the controls were verified through a mass properties analysis and thruster mapping simulation.

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