tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30893967017469734392024-02-19T18:07:45.237-06:00AustinROVA project to build an OpenROV and explore the depths Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-24127044542586206672016-05-23T16:39:00.001-05:002016-05-25T14:18:46.295-05:00360 360We returned to the 360 bridge for a second dive. The ROV got stuck, the tether got stuck, one propeller came off and another got tangled up.<br />
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The flashlight looks tough but didn't quite work out. We need to add some buoyancy to the light to make it neutral. It was too heavy for the ROV in this state. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIIc5T6wcZOyJYyACh88a7lfJjZjMZ_HphdalqfI1CgTxAVd5nEWbVAJFYPztBKFdKWmYQoWIF3TYNWcBxZyABk6J7ZTlbOkN8gs7hRz35vlJqA3H2MsRiUoOZsrxRxrJBhH4OYOKef58/s1600/output_fQkjbi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIIc5T6wcZOyJYyACh88a7lfJjZjMZ_HphdalqfI1CgTxAVd5nEWbVAJFYPztBKFdKWmYQoWIF3TYNWcBxZyABk6J7ZTlbOkN8gs7hRz35vlJqA3H2MsRiUoOZsrxRxrJBhH4OYOKef58/s400/output_fQkjbi.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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The ROV performed as expected, turning left and flying like a brick. One motor wouldn't spin in reverse, per the usual. We did not opt to open the main tube to re-calibrate the ESCs and limped it along (like last time). </div>
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The shelter of the bridge provided birds ample opportunity to poop on us and our gear. On the plus side that new strap kept the main tube completely dry, so yay!</div>
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Key takeaways:</div>
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<ul>
<li>compass is much more smooth (but incorrect)</li>
<li>IMU hacks still work but the file name changed to CMPU9150.cpp</li>
<li>vertical propeller came off again (already fixed)</li>
<li>payloads need to be neutrally buoyant </li>
<li>stop diving where people go fishing!</li>
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Future plans:<br />
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<li>double o-ring seals on battery tubes (ours leak)</li>
<li>keeping main tube sealed to minimize moisture</li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-9055354694593803152016-04-21T08:11:00.000-05:002016-04-21T09:31:39.519-05:00Double Tap!We've reprogrammed the esc's on the ROV endlessly, and calibrated them endlessly, in our attempts to get it to fly correctly. While upgrading the software and firmware last night, we noticed something that is going to make flying it a lot easier. Often we've found that using the steering keys to send inputs to the esc's produces unpredictable results - sometimes the propeller will spin correctly, sometimes not at all, and sometimes will cut out unexpectedly. Last night we discovered that double-tapping the keys was effective 100% of the time, even after reboots and power loss. <br />
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So, it still flies like an underwater brick. But at least we can control our underwater brick <i>predictably </i>now. I'm calling this a victory. <br />
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Our next dive is coming up soon - heading to Barton Creek to find and video underwater wildlife in early May. We'll have some upgrades to roll out by then including a new cinching strap to keep the main tube sealed, and a 4000 lumen torch to increase our low-light capture with the GoPro. Exciting times for AustinROV. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPtc3aTHYcR-DmEvl4KREL1TjfRifmhj4Xl91ouujvXm8IH6PJRjiJOOHQLbAWvlKo3UO_QRVHI1pYIYA0jtkbTTih6yDYK0ivtuWJbg2x4kum6c0DxcwJwpK3ZvLztrHFWP5EPFrM8PL/s1600/DSC_1226_grande.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPtc3aTHYcR-DmEvl4KREL1TjfRifmhj4Xl91ouujvXm8IH6PJRjiJOOHQLbAWvlKo3UO_QRVHI1pYIYA0jtkbTTih6yDYK0ivtuWJbg2x4kum6c0DxcwJwpK3ZvLztrHFWP5EPFrM8PL/s200/DSC_1226_grande.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We also upgraded the OpenROV software image which greatly improved the compass stability. Our IMU still thinks it is upside down though... <br />
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--DannyE can't comment without a G+ :(Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-67759726089709732702016-04-16T15:09:00.000-05:002016-04-18T09:07:57.033-05:00When you fail so much it feels normalWe flew the ROV at the boat ramp at the iconic Loop 360 Bridge. This picture was before the rain.<br />
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During setup we discovered problems with the laptop. There would be no screencast recording for this dive. We're off to a rough start already.<br />
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Richard is installing our freshly charged and brand new batteries. They worked great! Runtime is a little over an hour per set of six batteries. (11,000mAh 3s LiPO)<br />
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We saw a fish! </div>
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Lots of fish, actually.</div>
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The gopro once again didn't capture much, this time it was due to the low light conditions and murky water in Lake Austin. We need either a much better low-light camera or a much larger light source with the gopro. </div>
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This also happened.<br />
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Other highlights:<br />
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<li>vertical propeller slipping on the shaft stranded us at the bottom</li>
<li>fishing line tied up the starboard propeller</li>
<li>main tube flooded after desiccant swap (dirty o-rings?)</li>
<li>reached maximum depth of 4.7 meters </li>
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PS: LAZERS!!!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-25268255592686631662016-04-05T06:44:00.000-05:002016-04-05T07:25:38.148-05:00Lou Neff Point - Best dive yet!Two weeks ago we had our best dive to date! We took the ROV out to Lou Neff point to see what type of wildlife we could capture on the cameras. I'm happy to say the dive was almost a complete success!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg5MLGirzBrAgRHZFR-0iFvUat5TV8hFAm33zYvl3q1nqF3jV9ZnbV1vTEcQmMHQg0J3oUEDFSAYA7x6Y2XLgZkpmWUXXRa8gGu2nthWR1EIurcdeAQY2OKCdSqAC9UJ9jHsI_cohVZZv/s1600/6cfc54e4-abd2-4a24-990b-24300aa9043f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg5MLGirzBrAgRHZFR-0iFvUat5TV8hFAm33zYvl3q1nqF3jV9ZnbV1vTEcQmMHQg0J3oUEDFSAYA7x6Y2XLgZkpmWUXXRa8gGu2nthWR1EIurcdeAQY2OKCdSqAC9UJ9jHsI_cohVZZv/s320/6cfc54e4-abd2-4a24-990b-24300aa9043f.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did't bring the correct seal, so this is Danny's attempt to fit a smaller one on the port battery tube.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny & Jim doing pre-dive checks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to complain with that view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKpV9Qsd9EhZ0A1WlBnnlwVu9NkQpiWfl_3Y-g4qjXNCSQWX5NMSvwYDw35hx3I7PhV_24pZJO-bU3klyoczfIdmbQZKUVr0708VDI3wJJOS5-bLyulKKdLEawEK1Jb5ibNnBHrnFPt3l/s1600/IMG_3917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKpV9Qsd9EhZ0A1WlBnnlwVu9NkQpiWfl_3Y-g4qjXNCSQWX5NMSvwYDw35hx3I7PhV_24pZJO-bU3klyoczfIdmbQZKUVr0708VDI3wJJOS5-bLyulKKdLEawEK1Jb5ibNnBHrnFPt3l/s320/IMG_3917.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim searching for wildlife.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi8JDbYaVHJu-GwnFPqBqXb46a-BwvrWx19SXxzVSoJn5rfJ3B8BOUdJJ73IdioI2NsKKodcbrLQvWy2ltzZOq-74fD6NbHS6qv2tnwoCP1IsyB9NWxf_3dXRhI85DGL_O4G5m_mXnOJV/s1600/G0065728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi8JDbYaVHJu-GwnFPqBqXb46a-BwvrWx19SXxzVSoJn5rfJ3B8BOUdJJ73IdioI2NsKKodcbrLQvWy2ltzZOq-74fD6NbHS6qv2tnwoCP1IsyB9NWxf_3dXRhI85DGL_O4G5m_mXnOJV/s320/G0065728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We captured a turtle! SUCCESS!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjcz-oYuzKlkBJEbI3TXwgEVqTDHy0Z1xB3M9N6FDLzVgRWxFow2g14-SMLnCJImoD5X_izQAmuUgve3usSzOZR-Th5e7r0p1Or2CTv8X5CXA9PLdxR0y9Feiy6k8CTQjDpNVw7dxGSA4/s1600/IMG_3911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjcz-oYuzKlkBJEbI3TXwgEVqTDHy0Z1xB3M9N6FDLzVgRWxFow2g14-SMLnCJImoD5X_izQAmuUgve3usSzOZR-Th5e7r0p1Or2CTv8X5CXA9PLdxR0y9Feiy6k8CTQjDpNVw7dxGSA4/s320/IMG_3911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny's expression explains how we all felt about this dive!</td></tr>
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Do you remember, from above, I said this dive was almost a complete success? With so many components on this ROV, we were bound to have some type of an issue. Sure enough, after 45 minutes of exploring Lou Neff point, and right in the middle of my piloting session, the ROV died. Once we reel it back in we notice that one of the batteries has completed died (I mean D.E.A.D.). It has been quite awhile since we bought new batteries, so losing one is not that hard to imagine.<br />
<br />
Next steps:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Buy new batteries</li>
<li>Find the battery tube seal</li>
<li>Continue this dive's success!</li>
</ul>
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<img alt="Displaying IMG_3900.JPG" src="blob:https%3A//drive.google.com/6cfc54e4-abd2-4a24-990b-24300aa9043f" /><br />
<img alt="Displaying IMG_3900.JPG" src="blob:https%3A//drive.google.com/6cfc54e4-abd2-4a24-990b-24300aa9043f" /><br />
<img alt="Displaying IMG_3900.JPG" src="blob:https%3A//drive.google.com/6cfc54e4-abd2-4a24-990b-24300aa9043f" /><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06194156876711859035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-72909861033893021292015-10-04T21:36:00.000-05:002015-10-04T21:36:06.518-05:00For real this timeWe took the ROV to the San Marcos River today at La Isla. This is sort of how it went, though it doesn't tell the whole story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n5uxOqribMnZVdj4-CtZCFhgH20UoUU-UDVOP-FutN95fi8IY47tO8AxIVQv-fzsA5ZF02XLKvjkg6gH9CzKSEJ7HNlAOm16nHqTMw5v7F1Df3pMkiNEx75P_KIYAqWJl0QQUCt9zP0h/s1600/gif1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n5uxOqribMnZVdj4-CtZCFhgH20UoUU-UDVOP-FutN95fi8IY47tO8AxIVQv-fzsA5ZF02XLKvjkg6gH9CzKSEJ7HNlAOm16nHqTMw5v7F1Df3pMkiNEx75P_KIYAqWJl0QQUCt9zP0h/s400/gif1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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The reality is that for most of the time we could only see a blue abyss, even in bright daylight and clear water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruY9CVUIME2Na8Nl9wPDQYX4VnEM-V2XZq8O6roeU6AjbsFCObsUvVMzTRNwTnwcIeJ5ODeVtw8HvLvIooveRVLd3FbMcNVRcaZiBvxKsQeUzLbBROIgG2UDtLFhef2kKNmOdDnSoInLC/s1600/ROV20140808163756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruY9CVUIME2Na8Nl9wPDQYX4VnEM-V2XZq8O6roeU6AjbsFCObsUvVMzTRNwTnwcIeJ5ODeVtw8HvLvIooveRVLd3FbMcNVRcaZiBvxKsQeUzLbBROIgG2UDtLFhef2kKNmOdDnSoInLC/s400/ROV20140808163756.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the end we had collected some water inside the main tube and called it a day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgZq75_GBXbVOSXFBxPjZ9eFc34dIBFMuRAuwRwmbkOnbh9pL15XbkmTulwa56uHV0rFykOY-shgnd6heEaoGzzwgJutwpZigk7tamc7hR51aano5sqpnJ8m0DfsTsJq_tLrL2WbeeHx5/s1600/ROV20140808170249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_593609287"></span><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgZq75_GBXbVOSXFBxPjZ9eFc34dIBFMuRAuwRwmbkOnbh9pL15XbkmTulwa56uHV0rFykOY-shgnd6heEaoGzzwgJutwpZigk7tamc7hR51aano5sqpnJ8m0DfsTsJq_tLrL2WbeeHx5/s400/ROV20140808170249.jpg" width="400" /><span id="goog_593609288"></span></a></div>
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<br />
Steering was still a huge problem. The ROV always wants to go left. No matter what. We have swapped motors, propellers, tried inversion settings and updated the software to try and solve this problem to no avail. Our newly joined member Evan suggested we try a fixed-position rudder. We may just do it. I am willing to try almost anything given how bad this neutrally buoyant brick flies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-34396779920394669452015-10-04T21:27:00.002-05:002015-10-04T21:27:43.443-05:00San MarvelousRoad Trip! DannyE drove us down to San Marcos, TX to test the ROV out in the crystal clear water of the San Marcos River on Sunday. It went surprisingly well, as far as things for the ROV project are concerned. First of all, the day was gorgeous:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIgaOCyDo93c_d-pRmMzf_J2gLj4BG7iq2mDRGTJQsMx-VA-mQ41_cpelr4Uo_66uEKeMJar90pnbOEODuL3Ft2nEdX_zN2y94U7Mf2jyIixmv_AuikiYSObFSVsUWjrO8fTriPlmIEy4/s1600/20151004_100935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIgaOCyDo93c_d-pRmMzf_J2gLj4BG7iq2mDRGTJQsMx-VA-mQ41_cpelr4Uo_66uEKeMJar90pnbOEODuL3Ft2nEdX_zN2y94U7Mf2jyIixmv_AuikiYSObFSVsUWjrO8fTriPlmIEy4/s400/20151004_100935.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dive staging area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We set up shop on an island in the middle of the river, by Rio Vista park. The island is accessed by a small concrete bridge - carrying a bunch of electronics across that bridge was fun stuff. The ROV may be waterproof, but most of our gear certainly isn't. <br />
In any case, after setting up and and clearing our pre-dive checks, we chose to launch from this choice looking spot:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5Dqnk8s6LYCAW1uto-A0YZJz5eW2z2btbdESASVBYjzN70SwZOegBEsEOAOqWP3yjL8b8KYDXHwUeenVi2YZyDy_gLuTQ5d4pR2HriqOG73QBgGDiPRSlKmIMl6ezQfAE5y2ah6DvZSr/s1600/20151004_100942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5Dqnk8s6LYCAW1uto-A0YZJz5eW2z2btbdESASVBYjzN70SwZOegBEsEOAOqWP3yjL8b8KYDXHwUeenVi2YZyDy_gLuTQ5d4pR2HriqOG73QBgGDiPRSlKmIMl6ezQfAE5y2ah6DvZSr/s400/20151004_100942.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our launching point - a tiny pier and some beautiful water</td></tr>
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<br />
The goal was to dive in the still area between the fast flowing water on the southern side of the island and the slower (yet still powerful, compared to the ROV's motors) current on the northern side. <br />
And dive we did!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sOaB0efw4kZEtzPZCv69IoxzL8EKqvyKvpQgo_nVr7yCSfapsb9PyaipoBOdiAmNkixVdR9ONgju-2YRF7FqfQSQ82N6NqoKcDOfom1Lenkpj-q28j3s42fMrrkNP04oolh-REHBCzzk/s1600/20151004_103244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sOaB0efw4kZEtzPZCv69IoxzL8EKqvyKvpQgo_nVr7yCSfapsb9PyaipoBOdiAmNkixVdR9ONgju-2YRF7FqfQSQ82N6NqoKcDOfom1Lenkpj-q28j3s42fMrrkNP04oolh-REHBCzzk/s400/20151004_103244.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thar she blows!<br /></td></tr>
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<br />
Safe to say the San Marcos River was far more powerful than our little robot. We explored the immediate environs but were swept away by the current repeatedly. However, we seemed to draw quite a few curious onlookers, including human, piscine, and testudine ones. <br />
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Oh, and we saw a really special creature breach the water at one point:<br />
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We took a lot of video both from the ROV and the GoPro attached to it. We'll be editing video and throwing it up here soon so that everyone can see what we're seeing while the ROV is underwater. We think you'll like it. <br />
<br />
We are also really looking forward to diving in some calmer waters more suited to the ROV's power level - namely, lakes like Lake Buchanan. We are in the planning stages of an exhibition there soon, to look for remnants of the lost city of Bluffton. Whether we find it or not, we're finally able to use the ROV out in the real world and it feels pretty darn good. More to come, soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-91259998648125623392015-09-23T10:36:00.002-05:002015-09-23T10:36:42.803-05:00AustinROVWelcome back! We have updated the blog name to reflect the new mission of the group. Just because we've moved on from our original goal of exploring Jacob's Well, our focus on doing citizen science and exploring with the OpenROV project is still alive and well. We're exploring a lot of interesting possibilities for underwater dives in the Austin area, including underwater ghost towns in the Highland Lakes chain, and are excited to start planning some of these expeditions out. We plan to continue blogging about both the technology challenges we encounter with the OpenROV platform as well as detailing any finds we make along the way. Thanks so much for reading the blog so far and we hope you continue to follow us on our underwater journeys. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-81444653698428177512015-09-14T11:05:00.002-05:002016-04-16T17:14:44.047-05:00Three good testsThe OpenROV team says "you can build it in a weekend" but to us the reality was much closer to 18 months. I think this is an example of how "dreamy" the OpenROV folks are. They have very lofty ideas but execution always leaves something to be desired.<br />
<br />
A short example, the next version up from 2.5.1 is version 30.0.0. Maybe they fudged the version number, something that could be corrected, but they went ahead with it. It isn't all that revolutionary or a silver bullet for the 2.5.1 problems, just an incremental change.<br />
<br />
Ah, the perils of being an early backer of an open source project. The upside is that things improve all the time, like software. The downside is that as things improve, you are stuck with the "old world" hardware and software you started with. We bought LiPo batteries for our 2.6 kit, and very soon after we found that there was no way to use them, the OpenROV team switched to a new LiFePo battery type requiring all new ROV geometry and chargers. We decided to stick with LiPo and went with a much higher current 26650 battery.<br />
<br />
Finally, we are ready to actually dive our project OpenROV. It doesn't fly perfectly but we think it is about as good as it can get with this platform. We've fought software, firmware, hardware and collaboration issues to get here. Now that we're ready, the place we thought we were going seems to have slipped further out of reach.<br />
<br />
Sadly we probably won't be going to Jacob's Well. This is partly because we can't rely on the ROV being able to get back out of the well and the <a href="http://www.jacobswellexplorationproject.org/jwep.html">JWEP</a> makes our efforts redundant. It is also worth mention that we couldn't get ahold of anyone at <a href="http://www.co.hays.tx.us/jwna.aspx">JWNA</a> or <a href="http://www.wimberleywatershed.org/">Wimberly Valley Watershed</a> to even discuss our project.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-66303523693066962022015-07-26T10:02:00.000-05:002015-07-26T10:02:44.857-05:00Don't use SUDO while underwater This will be a text only update. If you're wondering why - well - somebody erased all the latest GoPro footage (that would be me, James.) We had a nice little test dive going this past Saturday - a tune up dive to tweak the controls (they're still difficult to use) while we wait for the summer swimming season to die down and for someone/anyone at Jacob's Well to respond to our inquiries. Early in the day, I noticed we had already filled up the GoPro storage - I had neglected to erase the last few dives worth of footage, so I decided to format the card and just capture more footage for the rest of the day. Great plan, right? <br />
Unfortunately, we got no more footage that day. There was a leak and the ROV started going nuts on us. We thought perhaps our code tweaks to the motor controls tanked it, but it wasn't actually errant sudo usage but a bad o-ring that sank us. Anything that can go wrong on this project will go wrong.<br />
After letting the ROV dry out, it was working fine again, but we were done for the day. <br />
<br />
So next up, if anyone reading this knows someone that can get us diving access to Jacob's Well, that would be amazing. So far, we've gotten nowhere with them. I'm not above just driving there with the ROV in the offseason and diving it, but I'd rather do this with the cooperation of the county and all. We're as good as we are going to get piloting this thing - it's time to dive. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-29909774191772669072015-04-14T21:14:00.005-05:002015-04-14T21:14:56.581-05:00Bout TimeWell...we finally got this robot working. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6xOyTvMtr8Fc2m9FIao-HGxo2IK_ktF0kXtTvPQ6Ypsi40tlTFHOJfFit62E48zMPApccul1PUAuQ-wav9K6UlLB-EZwV0vV47TPXEEdSrSjMcoG4HG311mwfmJTedVH4BW5gWHQrITq/s1600/20150411_121059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6xOyTvMtr8Fc2m9FIao-HGxo2IK_ktF0kXtTvPQ6Ypsi40tlTFHOJfFit62E48zMPApccul1PUAuQ-wav9K6UlLB-EZwV0vV47TPXEEdSrSjMcoG4HG311mwfmJTedVH4BW5gWHQrITq/s1600/20150411_121059.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't quit you</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
If I had known...if <i>we</i> had known...before starting, how many difficulties we'd have in just the <i>building </i> of the robot, we'd have been stunned. The OpenROV team had me hooked way back when, with their kit that "can be built in a weekend." Here we are a year later, finally getting to that point. There have been a lot of lessons learned in this endeavor and I won't detail all of them here, since we've been covering them throughout the course of the blog, but a few things are worth touching on:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Hobbywing ESC's are a pain in the arse</li>
<li>Danny E likes to cut, burn, and hammer on things</li>
<ul>
<li>But he makes them work</li>
</ul>
<li>Piloting a robot in the real world is NOT just like a videogame</li>
<li>Building robots is even more fun than you'd think, when all is said and done</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We navigated a little homebrew obstacle course in the pool to do some pilot testing and get a feel for how the OpenROV will handle in tight spaces. It's a little scary how tough it can be to pilot in the pool; some of that is due to the currents being pumped around, and the relative lightness of the ROV. But it's also just tougher than it looks. We bonked the GoPro on the obstacle course more than once, and sometimes even getting our bearings straight was a hassle. But we we able to fit the ROV through some tight spaces and we think we're ready to do this. <br />
<br />
Next step is to make this official with the Jacob's Well people; we are hard at work on securing a date and time to take this little guy out there and see what we can see. It's finally coming together! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-81225247746355885442015-02-21T12:46:00.000-06:002015-03-04T08:58:07.064-06:00The best ESC in China<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswZM-kiJANSKqcMXui2aiF0prfS7-dQpFCNMKiht8ZShtC8kTjfHUnAE0xNnzI5FX8q3W-jXSL24ecLtTMEHYKMJhSADViVzRlS4F0RnasrjDCS5V-226aMN4W9z03fp9erltwZ9h4vJ8/s1600/ezrun-18a-sl-brushless-esc-for-1-18-car-version-2-8.gif.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswZM-kiJANSKqcMXui2aiF0prfS7-dQpFCNMKiht8ZShtC8kTjfHUnAE0xNnzI5FX8q3W-jXSL24ecLtTMEHYKMJhSADViVzRlS4F0RnasrjDCS5V-226aMN4W9z03fp9erltwZ9h4vJ8/s1600/ezrun-18a-sl-brushless-esc-for-1-18-car-version-2-8.gif.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Oh, the pain you have caused me, hobbywing.<br />
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<br />
I declare that Hobbywing is *NOT* the best ESC in China. At least not all of them are.<br />
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We've replaced these already with identical parts only to have the same problems again. Now the trouble seems to be one ESC losing calibration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dzWrzSKB8m_rIPOxsR4n2rblTNN9g47HtMEWYBPLJm6upktFuBp8DZNIuXYYOtYyjP9qflcxaqtzBSWT6jbl960QHJwHcYyKuDrC8kuKTXbE3Kcmgk-wnGnYUiV-QxNx_Nb_y2ycf-dJ/s1600/IMG_5836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dzWrzSKB8m_rIPOxsR4n2rblTNN9g47HtMEWYBPLJm6upktFuBp8DZNIuXYYOtYyjP9qflcxaqtzBSWT6jbl960QHJwHcYyKuDrC8kuKTXbE3Kcmgk-wnGnYUiV-QxNx_Nb_y2ycf-dJ/s1600/IMG_5836.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
Our little ROV has been through a lot. Just getting it to the test dives has been a huge challenge. We have seen software, firmware and hardware problems in and out of the water. Operator error has contributed. Our group has become fatigued with the motor issues.<br />
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This motor had failing bearings that were potted in, requiring replacement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjda5HMaoBvgDiCAMgjtheX5Hk3oYyrOeN4cs9Tci4UccJ-ARmUUWr4VxovZbH53gWomhnQV_F_UTlwFcZAi6FnnLSpf0IqBXyXEMJ3NlAVyyxvnraKCwHjR9OLqKriuEgRtUIXJ5Z8Lf6w/s1600/IMG_7191-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjda5HMaoBvgDiCAMgjtheX5Hk3oYyrOeN4cs9Tci4UccJ-ARmUUWr4VxovZbH53gWomhnQV_F_UTlwFcZAi6FnnLSpf0IqBXyXEMJ3NlAVyyxvnraKCwHjR9OLqKriuEgRtUIXJ5Z8Lf6w/s1600/IMG_7191-2.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
Richard potted a replacement motor and then we damaged one of the brand new motor bearings.<br />
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This probably happened while removing the c-clip that holds the shaft in place.<br />
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Oops.<br />
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Arthur provided some much needed new bearings. Danny soldered the motor onto the ROV. Alas, there was still no joy to be had. Now the motors are behaving unpredictably again.<br />
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After removing power via the battery tubes some, all, or none of the ESCs lose their calibration settings (they all kept their programming, so yay?). This is evident because the motors will then not spin backwards. Re-calibrating the ESCs works and stays fine through reboots but does not survive pulling out the batteries.<br />
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More and more the Blue Robotics thrusters are looking like our next steps, probably even with their ESCs. but we still plan to limp the ROV out for another test dive very soon.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-11719314249978868102014-12-22T08:58:00.001-06:002014-12-22T08:58:07.205-06:00These Poolish GamesTest Dive #5 is in the books. <div>
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We set up an obstacle course underwater on Sunday to attempt to navigate and put ROV in the water.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68aYxIIA7VoXS8MBiljjwNLJKhsh3mtX25HZ7CX0ksl4eJfK3JCdKQ49IyaPrJe-HYUkHaHN39gKGy7STuh_0m-anWjXqsRdu2LGFR9zruiOPC3Mfr0NdJLV8mMYXpR6igKuo2oCsBzAI/s1600/ROV20140808170702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68aYxIIA7VoXS8MBiljjwNLJKhsh3mtX25HZ7CX0ksl4eJfK3JCdKQ49IyaPrJe-HYUkHaHN39gKGy7STuh_0m-anWjXqsRdu2LGFR9zruiOPC3Mfr0NdJLV8mMYXpR6igKuo2oCsBzAI/s1600/ROV20140808170702.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obstacle course sighted!</td></tr>
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We started flying, and immediately noticed that our balance in the water was way off, so we started working to adjust our weight distribution to get the ballast correct. Turns out that split-shot sinkers from a fishing tackle box worked perfectly for this!</div>
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They have upgraded from catching sunfish in the river to ballasting an ROV - a huge promotion in a fishing weight's life, I'd think. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs0J8i34ziJ2Z8vaoQ_A8DTRYIeXfgwEIUgoJOalMLxHokd2OvSUtocBWX_H1lTaLrMUA6indf1ch5BOjogmv0qsVihOfRXTvuq5VrCWh6EZ1vxufsXmnor_PB_dZRu9_V9qCH0I_ZMWe/s1600/G0012459-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs0J8i34ziJ2Z8vaoQ_A8DTRYIeXfgwEIUgoJOalMLxHokd2OvSUtocBWX_H1lTaLrMUA6indf1ch5BOjogmv0qsVihOfRXTvuq5VrCWh6EZ1vxufsXmnor_PB_dZRu9_V9qCH0I_ZMWe/s1600/G0012459-MOTION.gif" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adjusting the weights </td></tr>
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Back in the water we went. </div>
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Thanks to David H. for hosting us at his apartment pool again!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3j3mZWgm3w979had2Z-qh63ezKFZ0FpZ1nLvelSDhUz4jg_TDjhs5_cjSKr5wyuJ8x8fqrrlmB54X_CfAcSlLAeECmbx4vpY6g-IVzFCkPLtyr6q3QnTOzLIdInf_wzk1n0OxbhbHEm-/s1600/G0012309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3j3mZWgm3w979had2Z-qh63ezKFZ0FpZ1nLvelSDhUz4jg_TDjhs5_cjSKr5wyuJ8x8fqrrlmB54X_CfAcSlLAeECmbx4vpY6g-IVzFCkPLtyr6q3QnTOzLIdInf_wzk1n0OxbhbHEm-/s1600/G0012309.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the team chats with David while rebooting the ROV</td></tr>
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Here's the part where things went wrong. One of our pre-flight checks on our checklist (yes, we print out flight checklists every time we dive...it is important to be thorough!) is to check the seals on the tubes. This is important because apparently you don't want water inside the main electronics tube of your ROV, who knew? But what we didn't do was check the seals again after adjusting all the weights on the ROV. So although newly balanced, we sprang a leak. I think it came loose when we moved the tube around adjusting the weights.</div>
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So yes, you are correct, that is BAD NEWS BEARS. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ktVCfZ71iJefbjpDxDkm0rgD_hEdJqShx8GuYfs9EH6pnpnpfuyWE-ztQcuJiWQJbcghJ3OY2l3V0az0DWDo7bLRXTIpmKiPxeF9vvDX0YEP3yzMkza65jKJCY-p7jPxUX014i9fip_c/s1600/DSCN3069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ktVCfZ71iJefbjpDxDkm0rgD_hEdJqShx8GuYfs9EH6pnpnpfuyWE-ztQcuJiWQJbcghJ3OY2l3V0az0DWDo7bLRXTIpmKiPxeF9vvDX0YEP3yzMkza65jKJCY-p7jPxUX014i9fip_c/s1600/DSCN3069.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bleh...water inside<br /><br /></td></tr>
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It went down something like this. I (James) was at the controls, wondering why we couldn't fly straight, just looping in circles. Danny and Richard and Arthur were calling out to me to stop spinning in circles. Someone noticed that there was fog in the main tube. We pulled the ROV out of the pool and...well, yep, it's now about 5% full of water, enough to puddle up in the corner. </div>
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The good news is that we never lost the video feed or the Cockpit from the ROV, so it still works. The bad news is that obviously our dive was over for the day.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFgZIm4HDyuG1Cs85CXUGqlYPgCWLrtkBqULIlnLg4qe5x0ObmxrH2IVRCKOxJyFK3Kqbzd31LE4bHSnjb4QvtKO9V0-ZqUmlJBoXbsKGnVrMoYPZaO9Io6Sbt4jjfT-_Qi05wjQ49hFx/s1600/DSCN3112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFgZIm4HDyuG1Cs85CXUGqlYPgCWLrtkBqULIlnLg4qe5x0ObmxrH2IVRCKOxJyFK3Kqbzd31LE4bHSnjb4QvtKO9V0-ZqUmlJBoXbsKGnVrMoYPZaO9Io6Sbt4jjfT-_Qi05wjQ49hFx/s1600/DSCN3112.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying off</td></tr>
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Since we were gathered up and Arthur had brought some pro video equipment, we recorded some interviews we hope to incorporate later into a video we're making about the entire experience. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYckyVfEY_gsyIjWPe3sOagtAutY-8j4xY3VfCj95ROOLUl1HCbx8ifeTgKbs2oK0-u1Sn9UYpkM2G_fCAJDW792oI2-uHUy7wpXSbwmtkpZi6COfutV6VujgpZIj9zz1VuWPphgCT6AFL/s1600/DSCN3094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYckyVfEY_gsyIjWPe3sOagtAutY-8j4xY3VfCj95ROOLUl1HCbx8ifeTgKbs2oK0-u1Sn9UYpkM2G_fCAJDW792oI2-uHUy7wpXSbwmtkpZi6COfutV6VujgpZIj9zz1VuWPphgCT6AFL/s1600/DSCN3094.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Interview that North Korea didn't want you to see</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcA_aoow4CtgfgBvZyrzbwpNdVQDhVTBDwEKyWrlF20t1rZEpQ1LfY2IL5bchKEYUVtG7TSRC43gX_UiP0ECjMCEcfagvCX2HrwF3YB0y4bYR7DYC31AuvU5NTxRAKLtm2Cw__uXmkn26T/s1600/DSCN3108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcA_aoow4CtgfgBvZyrzbwpNdVQDhVTBDwEKyWrlF20t1rZEpQ1LfY2IL5bchKEYUVtG7TSRC43gX_UiP0ECjMCEcfagvCX2HrwF3YB0y4bYR7DYC31AuvU5NTxRAKLtm2Cw__uXmkn26T/s1600/DSCN3108.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It takes a lot of gear to do things our way<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Some positives we gain from this dive are that we had more control time underwater than ever before, thanks to our new LiPo batteries. Next steps are to fix our trim issues so that we can fly straighter underwater, and to attempt the obstacle course again. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-42164629421597335442014-12-13T15:55:00.002-06:002014-12-13T15:55:37.477-06:00austinrov documentary teaserNone of us are filmmakers today but we're learning. The team worked on our interview questions and filming techniques today. Lots of footage was captured. Here we present a teaser, only a very small taste of the fun we had.<br />
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<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/114443339" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/114443339">AustinROV teaser</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/d33zdotcom">Daniel Epperson</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
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<br />
We verified that the new batteries and camera servo were working as expected. One of the ESCs lost programming but it wasn't noticed or fixed. That might come back to haunt us later however it will be an easy fix.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-72582293774686339342014-11-16T10:56:00.002-06:002014-11-16T10:56:54.170-06:00Some footage for your enjoymentThis past Friday, Danny E and I went to Spring Lake to scout out a potential test dive in a real world environment. Unfortunately, the vegetation level and shallowness of the lake doesn't look great for using the ROV there, but we still managed to have a productive day. We pieced together a bunch of the photos from our past build and test dive meetups, set it to music, and put it on Youtube. We have more footage than this and are working on a higher quality production, but I wanted to put a little teaser out there for some of what we have. Check it out below and thanks for reading!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/srb6JTvpIb8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-60906322400480439822014-11-07T16:57:00.000-06:002014-11-07T16:57:46.630-06:00Again not so muchWe tested the ROV again. It did not go well.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FKR2ERR-vEEhbSllfOHilmosi2QLhWZU4NLkCtznjUSDls2Qv9Yk4Cnew_rQ1j1Gv7mvneBewtVjrUQSB11PxT_0RWiK7VOG4B4j2Vq5u_bF836cOEFOVlHfidAdJh422bf9ct9wcTsM/s1600/IMG_6144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FKR2ERR-vEEhbSllfOHilmosi2QLhWZU4NLkCtznjUSDls2Qv9Yk4Cnew_rQ1j1Gv7mvneBewtVjrUQSB11PxT_0RWiK7VOG4B4j2Vq5u_bF836cOEFOVlHfidAdJh422bf9ct9wcTsM/s1600/IMG_6144.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OpenROV, so pretty but still broken</td></tr>
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At one point our motors wouldn't start at all. For no good reason. The ROV was running fine and a power cycle via the tether would not fix it. We had to pull batteries out of at least one tube, wait and re-power the ROV to get the motors back. Maybe one of the tether-driven 12v switches got stuck off?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AustinROV team troubleshooting</td></tr>
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<br />A recurring problem was that the ROV would shut down after some driving in the water. A power cycle via the tether would not bring it back and we had to pull batteries out of the tubes before we could get it to turn on again. We think this is due to the overcurrent protection built into the TrustFire batteries. The limit is 7.5 amps per tube and the ROV motors are rated for 9.5 amps each. This is why the OpenROV folks moved to a different battery type.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xpgq6oHUnJj0vIsso-V2HAabovJRfyFifC7o7OexbIP6C0WTL7YlgRNTDwW_jK9NSIvXKb9Bgl6GxvnNSM8j_jhOlyR9GFDo_ukcp8dY4caHzj2e49eqQFazBB1fRxP-36NE6Fp3gMOk/s1600/ROV20140808164037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xpgq6oHUnJj0vIsso-V2HAabovJRfyFifC7o7OexbIP6C0WTL7YlgRNTDwW_jK9NSIvXKb9Bgl6GxvnNSM8j_jhOlyR9GFDo_ukcp8dY4caHzj2e49eqQFazBB1fRxP-36NE6Fp3gMOk/s1600/ROV20140808164037.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ROV reading No Diving sign</td></tr>
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The ROV camera gave up near the end of our testing. We're still not sure what is up with that. No combination of battery pulling, rebooting or dashboard restarting would bring it back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBsU-fEE93wvXx6aXYDPPVCoDrdAsM-BIrxOzNiHQEenSqHmxvQ1d_d4-1NFbfFZSDg9CAu8unmcgIb50htd_N9IzkJvu_oN7IS71ivd2KgfbkJ_tpsAewHoVyvGQsACg9E_VL4_4zQlI/s1600/unknown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBsU-fEE93wvXx6aXYDPPVCoDrdAsM-BIrxOzNiHQEenSqHmxvQ1d_d4-1NFbfFZSDg9CAu8unmcgIb50htd_N9IzkJvu_oN7IS71ivd2KgfbkJ_tpsAewHoVyvGQsACg9E_VL4_4zQlI/s1600/unknown.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ROV looking ready to dive but no joy today</td></tr>
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Thank you David H and Beth for the hospitality. Our tests didn't go very well but our tummies were sure happy!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-31640696378529545812014-11-02T18:30:00.000-06:002014-11-02T18:30:35.367-06:00Looks like we made it<h3>
Love's so strange</h3>
We fixed everything! Or, almost. Not quite everything on our checklist is complete but all of the "show stopping" bugs have been ironed out.<br />
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<h3>
Full throttle reverse</h3>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcP148l78ZHQSKaR4wTAXw6_9hi3u_vztntC8k8Dj0KEHdEVra2AgydSPR-g358GBM0XqDyydD82MDhFhmf4edx9dkjqXq24XBg1znxKz9wM80ocX2n6f1B2b_WRdqG9FN58_-Z89fONJQ/s640/blogger-image-2040073999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcP148l78ZHQSKaR4wTAXw6_9hi3u_vztntC8k8Dj0KEHdEVra2AgydSPR-g358GBM0XqDyydD82MDhFhmf4edx9dkjqXq24XBg1znxKz9wM80ocX2n6f1B2b_WRdqG9FN58_-Z89fONJQ/s320/blogger-image-2040073999.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">downloading OpenROV software</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our main focus was the motors stopping mid-reverse at full power after only 2 seconds.<br />
<br />
<br />
This was resolved by upgrading the OpenROV BeagleBone software to 2.5.1-rc3. The bug linked below describes the issue we've been fighting for way too long now. </div>
<div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/issues/239">https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/issues/239</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Re-programming and re-calibrating</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwN6yMweAXvOnSkpQJz29vCYYffcyqgFevgGeiEuTluC-FQ5zozS0bUyt2iTm8tWd3g-ZODX0qmZliqGPIj-XnQJ7XRjGdRU8vTpX-ojEwNoSDlhSSagmkoTYp-2Upt8s9qPVc7v8dLsW/s640/blogger-image-651419995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwN6yMweAXvOnSkpQJz29vCYYffcyqgFevgGeiEuTluC-FQ5zozS0bUyt2iTm8tWd3g-ZODX0qmZliqGPIj-XnQJ7XRjGdRU8vTpX-ojEwNoSDlhSSagmkoTYp-2Upt8s9qPVc7v8dLsW/s400/blogger-image-651419995.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">checking ESC programming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After flashing new software to the device, we noticed that two of the ESCs were acting erratic. With our new programming card, we were able to very quickly identify and correct the lost programming settings on the ESCs. Programming these Hobbywing ESCs by hand used to be a huge pain, waiting for the beeps of the menu repeating over and over again.<br />
<br />
Now we can fix each ESC visually.<br />
<br />
Re-calibration was also necessary because some motors didn't spin at the same speeds. We don't fully understand this one yet and are hopeful that it isn't necessary with each re-programming as it is a bit tedious.<br />
<br />
So, if next time we power up the ROV and it doesn't work right, we'll try re-calibrating after a re-program of the ESCs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Dive, dive, dive!</h3>
<div>
A test dive is in order. And then, maybe a real one. WOOHOOO!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcP148l78ZHQSKaR4wTAXw6_9hi3u_vztntC8k8Dj0KEHdEVra2AgydSPR-g358GBM0XqDyydD82MDhFhmf4edx9dkjqXq24XBg1znxKz9wM80ocX2n6f1B2b_WRdqG9FN58_-Z89fONJQ/s640/blogger-image-2040073999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-66876162400053181192014-10-09T18:06:00.000-05:002014-10-09T18:06:59.637-05:00Elec-tricity, E-lec-tricitySorry we haven't posted much lately. Things have been right troublin' with the ROV and the behavior problems it exhibits. We're increasingly concerned that there's some sort of problem with the board, as we've now replaced two of the three ESC's that were misbehaving so badly, yet still seeing some of the same behaviors exhibited after the new ones were put in place. <br />
<br />
One of the things I've enjoyed the most about the experience of building this piece of equipment is all of the interesting things I've learned along the way, but I've also tried to be candid about my amateur status (and that of some of the team) when it comes to the more advanced electronics on board, and I'm beginning to fear that in my amateurism, I (or someone, who knows) may have caused electrical damage at some point, which is causing these behavior issues. It could also be that the problem was there from the start. Whatever it is, we're looking at (possibly) a lot more testing and prep work before we get back in the water. After the excitement of thinking we were finally there, it's a tough pill to swallow, but then again, things worth doing are rarely easy. We'll keep testing away until it works, of that you can be sure. I just don't know when that will be. <br />
<br />
On a positive note (because I feel compelled to leave this post on a positive note) IF we end up having to replace lots of stuff - the good news is that after reading through the OpenROV forums, it would appear that we've spent about 10x more time building and fixing the ROV than most other groups have, so we're pretty darn practiced at this point with a lot of things that most teams only had to do once. We could rebuild this thing in a day if we had to, so, in a strange way the problems we've had actually give me more confidence about the path forward than if things had gone smoothly. <br />
<br />
So we're back to the testing bench and the multimeter for now, thanks for reading and we'll post again soon. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-21992931850945910272014-09-14T13:28:00.001-05:002014-09-14T13:29:03.119-05:00It's totally the hardware...unless it's notJust a brief update today. After our latest test flight, we had some positive signs, and some negative ones. On the positive side, we've built a watertight craft with a bunch of lights, lasers, and cameras that all work now, so that's awesome! But on the negative side, we've had yet more trouble with the motors, and with some bumps underwater causing the craft to die. Like Danny mentioned in the last post, we're going to get our hot glue on to combat the issue of bumps knocking us out. We're also going to be replacing these guys:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswZM-kiJANSKqcMXui2aiF0prfS7-dQpFCNMKiht8ZShtC8kTjfHUnAE0xNnzI5FX8q3W-jXSL24ecLtTMEHYKMJhSADViVzRlS4F0RnasrjDCS5V-226aMN4W9z03fp9erltwZ9h4vJ8/s1600/ezrun-18a-sl-brushless-esc-for-1-18-car-version-2-8.gif.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswZM-kiJANSKqcMXui2aiF0prfS7-dQpFCNMKiht8ZShtC8kTjfHUnAE0xNnzI5FX8q3W-jXSL24ecLtTMEHYKMJhSADViVzRlS4F0RnasrjDCS5V-226aMN4W9z03fp9erltwZ9h4vJ8/s1600/ezrun-18a-sl-brushless-esc-for-1-18-car-version-2-8.gif.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ESC's we are using</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We have noticed that on both dry runs and test flights, our motors are not responding correctly 100% of the time. At times, the ESC's have lost their programming, and other times even with correct programming they act all crazy. This team has put a lot of time and effort into this project, and the last thing any of us want is an ROV that only <i>kind of</i> works right and gets lost in a cave because the motors betray us. So we're going to replace the ESC's and see how the motors act. If they're still acting crazy, we need to look at the software, and we'll just have some spare ESC's out of it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Another thing the team is doing is putting together a flight path for our first real world test flight (aka not in a swimming pool) that will be taking place at Spring Lake in San Marcos. We're going to put our navigation and charting skills to the test in an environment where we can still see the ROV pretty clearly, since once we hit the caves, the difficulty will ramp up considerably.<br />
<br />
Overall, while disappointing that we're still not quite there yet, it's also good that we're working our way through all of these mission-ending kinks now while we're diving in swimming pools, rather than 40 meters deep in a lightless cave. <br />
As always thanks for reading and don't forget to check us out on <a href="https://openexplorer.com/expedition/jacobswellproject">OpenExplorer</a> where we'll be documenting our dives out in the world, and you can actually donate to the project there as well if you feel so inclined. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-8090039161239877862014-09-07T17:44:00.000-05:002014-09-07T17:49:45.207-05:00Troubled so hardWe enthusiastically went for our third test dive, after having put away the ROV in 100% working order. Or so we thought. Our expedition was fraught with troubles.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCfCOEcieAhuMekcO9OKg3-OIUxzld11p6dh-OEIpKAySTe4DkxeZ7WaL2HflGk8FCHhy4PI3Fv2dQj2IjoMgOvJCBEYB3nnPNchRntFsVIXV3M01ZdX9eL7tbSgSauGE046k6p3uORzH/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-09-07-17h25m26s134.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCfCOEcieAhuMekcO9OKg3-OIUxzld11p6dh-OEIpKAySTe4DkxeZ7WaL2HflGk8FCHhy4PI3Fv2dQj2IjoMgOvJCBEYB3nnPNchRntFsVIXV3M01ZdX9eL7tbSgSauGE046k6p3uORzH/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-09-07-17h25m26s134.png" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">outside underwater ROV view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One of our issues was the vertical propeller, which came unstuck from the motor bell and tried to escape out the finger guard.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdsjKzBPUxczDWERj6MSHWQmwA5u4ZPBvOylAvd2ZbrGL6IYgssN6dIhyphenhyphenlnQCAAqaM9RCYVRCX6C8EvFxLQu0hQAJblGjpb2ViN6xAz56zpGj3NsGZFfxXzAoC3rdPAtuKXhfrf6gbzqp/s640/blogger-image-1962505349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdsjKzBPUxczDWERj6MSHWQmwA5u4ZPBvOylAvd2ZbrGL6IYgssN6dIhyphenhyphenlnQCAAqaM9RCYVRCX6C8EvFxLQu0hQAJblGjpb2ViN6xAz56zpGj3NsGZFfxXzAoC3rdPAtuKXhfrf6gbzqp/s400/blogger-image-1962505349.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vertical propeller escape attempt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Lag was also a huge issue. The ping times and responsiveness of the ROV vary wildly while in use, making it hard to predict and control. Speaking of control, I brought along a joystick which I think added much more confusion than it was worth. I do hope to set up a custom mapping for my many button joystick but that is going to be sidelined in favor of getting a reliable experience.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://openrov.com/forum/topics/upgrading-unix-kernel-to-eliminate-camera-lag-issues">http://openrov.com/forum/topics/upgrading-unix-kernel-to-eliminate-camera-lag-issues</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
The ROV died at the bottom of the pool, ending the day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI89KFIvKM9HPl5f1szx4VPFURxEUkmb2FEaJtmTDmx-Rfjl0k8LXyt-f6YcSgomoJOAbBzWgqkxisXmG_aMZXqs-J8eagF_sb7RpDNtp__SfD73qOBOkXUZYgb8flqPJW6_2FTEYNl4Jj/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-09-07-17h24m30s23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI89KFIvKM9HPl5f1szx4VPFURxEUkmb2FEaJtmTDmx-Rfjl0k8LXyt-f6YcSgomoJOAbBzWgqkxisXmG_aMZXqs-J8eagF_sb7RpDNtp__SfD73qOBOkXUZYgb8flqPJW6_2FTEYNl4Jj/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-09-07-17h24m30s23.png" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dead, but with full batteries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This day ending loss of contact has happened to us once before, so we were already looking at the tether on the topside for failure points. The last time that this happened, it was the cat5 cable going into the beaglebone that shook loose. We fixed that with a piece of tape but wondered if maybe it came loose again. This time it was something on the tenda homeplug adapter, sandwiched between the beaglebone and the cape. A simple re-seat fixed the issue, but for how long?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR2r1M53s9Dz0nhmCDTKdJ5Dl44tsienpZc7wJ5T3mdY-6R0DT6PxWUue_Z_dVhadxTDPYdHhI9XRBS1xsQm3bS79WmOCQi3GsEio_-Scdan2lLAl3tHBEPu2NahrX2qlUt2bLu-NdUYF/s1600/ROV20140103134002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR2r1M53s9Dz0nhmCDTKdJ5Dl44tsienpZc7wJ5T3mdY-6R0DT6PxWUue_Z_dVhadxTDPYdHhI9XRBS1xsQm3bS79WmOCQi3GsEio_-Scdan2lLAl3tHBEPu2NahrX2qlUt2bLu-NdUYF/s1600/ROV20140103134002.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard (and team) perplexed by the many issues</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm thinking about hot-gluing the tenda homeplug adapter and cat5 connectors (at least) to keep them from bumping loose and killing the ROV.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-52952428296035711162014-08-31T22:32:00.001-05:002014-09-01T20:37:29.814-05:00Open source rocks, except don't update it<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs3d6JAYpmTyZA6NGR6DJg-Rp6GI-ZpAFtxymmowFfVwjE7IqnEL8K-XUEnJYjlZTx7XHR1gVLyVss_4Gyfma3K-4TW4-MwHhzWlz0B1PVILUcM6MWNlF6XrTW9BK7mkSU87FkPiE6LQw/s640/blogger-image-1093921051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs3d6JAYpmTyZA6NGR6DJg-Rp6GI-ZpAFtxymmowFfVwjE7IqnEL8K-XUEnJYjlZTx7XHR1gVLyVss_4Gyfma3K-4TW4-MwHhzWlz0B1PVILUcM6MWNlF6XrTW9BK7mkSU87FkPiE6LQw/s400/blogger-image-1093921051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it was dry, but still fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Having a problem? Look at the source!<br />
<br />
One of the awesome parts of working with an open source project is that you can go look at how it works in every aspect. Today I'm working on getting a joystick working with the OpenROV Cockpit and I think this is the file that will need to be modified to add support for a new joystick (and allow for key remapping). It turns out that unsupported controllers work pretty well.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/blob/master/src/static/js/libs/gamepad.js">https://github.com/OpenROV/openrov-software/blob/master/src/static/js/libs/gamepad.js</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Looking to upgrade? Don't do it!<br />
<br />
If it ain't broke ... then don't fix it! I did it anyway. The upgrade.sh script has now killed our ROV more than one time. I even left a comment in the file saying not to do it, but I still did it. Now the ROV Dashboard is broken, making it inoperable. Oops, again.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;">http://wiki.openrov.com/index.php/Update_Software</span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>
This opportunity forced me to pull down the newest code, fully abandoning the old mess of files at the filesystem level. This means losing my hard-coded IMU tweaks, maybe next time I'll find a way to make that adjustable (thinking cape atmega eeprom). The update should give us some new UI plugins anyway, so hey maybe it will be worth the pain.<br />
<br />
That ended up being totally broken with "do not enter" warning signs. So I rolled back to the broken mess, then used git to roll back to a commit prior to the drastic changes to the dashboard. During the update, some nodejs stuff failed to compile, throwing a wrench into everything. In the end these few commands saved the day, for that issue. At least I got to keep my IMU hacks in place on the arduino cape.<br />
<br />
tail -f /var/log/openrov.*<br />
cd /opt/openrov/node_modules/<br />
/opt/node/bin/npm install<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
After all this headache, the starboard motor lost its programming again and makes the tell-tale beeping/braking sound and drives erratically. I guess we'll have to re-program this when we go diving, once the ROV is powered up, at least until we're able to order and replace the ESC for that motor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-63183079485862073442014-08-27T08:54:00.000-05:002014-08-28T11:41:52.316-05:00OpenExplorer AND A TEST DIVE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The founders of the OpenROV project contacted me a little while back about posting on their site, <a href="http://openexplorer.com/">OpenExplorer.com</a>, to document our adventures with the ROV. I was hesitant to post anything there until we had a working ROV, so for a long time I haven't moved on the idea. For anyone that has been reading this blog for a while, you know this isn't out of lack of desire. We have put so much work into this project, and have had our fair share of setbacks, so it hasn't always been easy to keep the fire burning on this. As someone new to the maker world, I wasn't sure what to expect but I definitely wasn't expecting this much work. But our hard work has finally paid off. I can now say that after tonight, I am so happy to announce that we are finally up and running! We completed a full underwater test and everything on the ROV is working! Lights, lasers, motors, camera...it all works. The motor programming stuck. The lasers toggled on and off accurately ( funny story, we are idiots and thought the lowecase l for lasers was a forward slash, so they were working the whole time we thought they were broken) and even the depth hold command is working accurately. We are finally ready to rock!!!!!<br />
<br />
Next step is to practice deploying and flying in a pool. Video of the ROV flying in action to come. I just couldn't wait to share! Really really exciting things to come now that we are up and running, thank you so much to our friends and family that have encouraged us along the way and to the new friends that have come along and followed our adventures! So in conclusion, we are now live at <a href="https://openexplorer.com/expedition/jacobswellproject">https://openexplorer.com/expedition/jacobswellproject</a> on the OpenExplorer.com site and will finally move from the building to adventuring phase.<br />
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Thanks for reading so far, and here's to great things to come!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj683djBB7LEAIEY0THnKhIpU3EpoLZjZULfqzqtZfMFg4Uv1zm89mC3VcCCPYUAt0TLaSNo6AZOfdFrUujy01KVHHz9Q1mDwgxTSg6IVNAAubJW_H53VI4Jb-j8gE9jBgO-fDBtPx6MEt_/s1600/IMG_7164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj683djBB7LEAIEY0THnKhIpU3EpoLZjZULfqzqtZfMFg4Uv1zm89mC3VcCCPYUAt0TLaSNo6AZOfdFrUujy01KVHHz9Q1mDwgxTSg6IVNAAubJW_H53VI4Jb-j8gE9jBgO-fDBtPx6MEt_/s1600/IMG_7164.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to dunk<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZhoPAw9z2wTYkUosKGlyuzhUQnAuutzkRVlf72A_aZc8h1jtf8VbCNfGiQoTN5TyPyCRTbAFM9hZnw020bf7kBa2e4-Da_HdLOz8JUTRVuIfCWK_vkN-bkzGtpTGVKVVkr-2LuExdh0F/s1600/IMG_7168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZhoPAw9z2wTYkUosKGlyuzhUQnAuutzkRVlf72A_aZc8h1jtf8VbCNfGiQoTN5TyPyCRTbAFM9hZnw020bf7kBa2e4-Da_HdLOz8JUTRVuIfCWK_vkN-bkzGtpTGVKVVkr-2LuExdh0F/s1600/IMG_7168.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Video feed is up</td></tr>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuK_73xl3QYVNmc-r_PuLXfLOFjl6WpWWw3BxVGjauE6LD5FC6IItxjENmy6ByXgzh_9nsK3BwlLF01UhFubVVvqLQzTO7iu58Nquy2mR9Jcl7IEYXQxx0ySYmeoN2sLPY1Ar-ks1xNn0g/s1600/IMG_7187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuK_73xl3QYVNmc-r_PuLXfLOFjl6WpWWw3BxVGjauE6LD5FC6IItxjENmy6ByXgzh_9nsK3BwlLF01UhFubVVvqLQzTO7iu58Nquy2mR9Jcl7IEYXQxx0ySYmeoN2sLPY1Ar-ks1xNn0g/s1600/IMG_7187.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here goes nothing...</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYm4XOOTyrbwGBTRUSCuRUDDEgs3QYvgNJssq5CX2YozOC0BkgBuVhl6CIgTprXEDKMMeQURJN8cWYtOMsS1GJbhPyl3YlKNexe7wPscz_fSgFBhDbkR2KskfZTgC-n0aF6XYCs9pMP_Bp/s1600/IMG_7193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYm4XOOTyrbwGBTRUSCuRUDDEgs3QYvgNJssq5CX2YozOC0BkgBuVhl6CIgTprXEDKMMeQURJN8cWYtOMsS1GJbhPyl3YlKNexe7wPscz_fSgFBhDbkR2KskfZTgC-n0aF6XYCs9pMP_Bp/s1600/IMG_7193.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There she blows!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEy9Mu6o-NTxFNPtxN5HTSIBZr9osb7zVbqwmJSE92LDTmw4NPqTWrcPJqTFU8O39C-vtfiAGCXXLdetqmcIUPhMWO1YtNAm0WeeRRJBmk1h_GWI3UCxiRoXhiVfTP10M23UBRNo_hbgyC/s1600/ROV20140103123703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEy9Mu6o-NTxFNPtxN5HTSIBZr9osb7zVbqwmJSE92LDTmw4NPqTWrcPJqTFU8O39C-vtfiAGCXXLdetqmcIUPhMWO1YtNAm0WeeRRJBmk1h_GWI3UCxiRoXhiVfTP10M23UBRNo_hbgyC/s1600/ROV20140103123703.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lets</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2oSF_s1xIslb2tK0ska84xZqR4qZNYx34FzcJYNLYNhYRUaFgxCvhyphenhyphenTuRPjTAOGLijC3sa3s74GSa7t0K2XkXAIE_rKZvO-lzeyiHzbSndiLeULo1_lVpe-ZP83sNUUtqJVdfdFCxdTU/s1600/ROV20140103123704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2oSF_s1xIslb2tK0ska84xZqR4qZNYx34FzcJYNLYNhYRUaFgxCvhyphenhyphenTuRPjTAOGLijC3sa3s74GSa7t0K2XkXAIE_rKZvO-lzeyiHzbSndiLeULo1_lVpe-ZP83sNUUtqJVdfdFCxdTU/s1600/ROV20140103123704.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqTbL4TxyAQ4K6tm7iNYBvsSrxn4bZ4GO4-S_ymzHvblm8o59YNEYuiLZPw_j3BUfR7hNL8ZJZ8Qp_fJgC5PYINvkU9_Yz8Eptq6h9rxJYMEajnvnxRmnMYzNjwQ5ygLLp14RWqyUjgDX/s1600/ROV20140103123705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqTbL4TxyAQ4K6tm7iNYBvsSrxn4bZ4GO4-S_ymzHvblm8o59YNEYuiLZPw_j3BUfR7hNL8ZJZ8Qp_fJgC5PYINvkU9_Yz8Eptq6h9rxJYMEajnvnxRmnMYzNjwQ5ygLLp14RWqyUjgDX/s1600/ROV20140103123705.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DcaPO9uD5swSaZ2gfXgFqejSXNaK8padlnybDh9cwuRwwjOxrL4_pRWOx6j0v-R_IxgQfD40bAXOm3ftYY0f9GCSYyeSdJJVUGxteHXAszetnp3QSJYS3hMknXLYZ9-At68Lc6sD7XD6/s1600/ROV20140103123708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DcaPO9uD5swSaZ2gfXgFqejSXNaK8padlnybDh9cwuRwwjOxrL4_pRWOx6j0v-R_IxgQfD40bAXOm3ftYY0f9GCSYyeSdJJVUGxteHXAszetnp3QSJYS3hMknXLYZ9-At68Lc6sD7XD6/s1600/ROV20140103123708.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbj7eRuzcSIn_Ix9gJD6zrjMH-q_Zwq-IGumRXJG_gTdSlPOzRSigJB2cZblZFRldeimgYmH1EhwO5_vyNz4U9GMS9OPm58AOH3MTdLOJUEev14HqCLJQohy33iKxXE8U5t3LsG-gsweo/s1600/ROV20140103123910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbj7eRuzcSIn_Ix9gJD6zrjMH-q_Zwq-IGumRXJG_gTdSlPOzRSigJB2cZblZFRldeimgYmH1EhwO5_vyNz4U9GMS9OPm58AOH3MTdLOJUEev14HqCLJQohy33iKxXE8U5t3LsG-gsweo/s1600/ROV20140103123910.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live feed from the camera after dunking. Still working!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMp6QewhV_sWlZ80VFRkRtj9_kW0rGpxNgQIwwdWlpYRm7sgdkxBB-iXa7dMMBthnYSW4qIEIZRBUkVABuwci9alIWUR9f8R2IYluv4YCbRhgKM75LT7jfhyphenhyphenRScUi1uoNtduh8150qWSw/s1600/IMG_3392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMp6QewhV_sWlZ80VFRkRtj9_kW0rGpxNgQIwwdWlpYRm7sgdkxBB-iXa7dMMBthnYSW4qIEIZRBUkVABuwci9alIWUR9f8R2IYluv4YCbRhgKM75LT7jfhyphenhyphenRScUi1uoNtduh8150qWSw/s1600/IMG_3392.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More testing. Still working like a champ.</td></tr>
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<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QdlFEHozzJf8kswe-nwd65IM9QJeZFPzQpM6fTJrCmIVzldN0rWksQUr1ID8jGymDDxNF7xVkgYQ64kuIrCqsnAgHl84LPQm9eSZ5VCM3g1Z0LjnZ1YOCAgJgevPvems5toY0A5cU3fV/s1600/IMG_7178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QdlFEHozzJf8kswe-nwd65IM9QJeZFPzQpM6fTJrCmIVzldN0rWksQUr1ID8jGymDDxNF7xVkgYQ64kuIrCqsnAgHl84LPQm9eSZ5VCM3g1Z0LjnZ1YOCAgJgevPvems5toY0A5cU3fV/s1600/IMG_7178.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebalancing. <br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwJYKYVUjUE7JYHC2_ZHocTHNH2J_v6NqIs5YpHE2b_buQDbzheJsXrjH051WsMmk0hEYIYEwJOoHtHJzOdyptSTrwZm7LQKxu_rz7q_-NXV5OVsSb1l9pRuRYcGSftSFlHGjoUytLzHb/s1600/IMG_7180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwJYKYVUjUE7JYHC2_ZHocTHNH2J_v6NqIs5YpHE2b_buQDbzheJsXrjH051WsMmk0hEYIYEwJOoHtHJzOdyptSTrwZm7LQKxu_rz7q_-NXV5OVsSb1l9pRuRYcGSftSFlHGjoUytLzHb/s1600/IMG_7180.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using washers provided by Danny as ballast. They work brilliantly, and are relatively easy to adjust. Awesome!<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nDUFdKnr0EC70aZG8TpQlkJtCb1y84LKaS2NsUEMM_z1UIBTKjg4KvxGfJSZBu5Ajc3v1nzEMGLo5fBk84TOQqp9kqCnjYcsCAn7adEPWPpsbnTcXjivTQpQ5LwkYeI6UCsCODJCzRGK/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nDUFdKnr0EC70aZG8TpQlkJtCb1y84LKaS2NsUEMM_z1UIBTKjg4KvxGfJSZBu5Ajc3v1nzEMGLo5fBk84TOQqp9kqCnjYcsCAn7adEPWPpsbnTcXjivTQpQ5LwkYeI6UCsCODJCzRGK/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last shot of her in the water. We're done!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126732826497287284noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-23428205882908184272014-08-23T18:37:00.001-05:002014-08-23T18:40:33.934-05:00Lube something something<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOFWoLf4yPaQDt6hnsM8JxUWYTpTgUOo2tLhfaSicCqYV3jbBALKaLoZexgPvpkQbGGToCO_IdyaZbTQuS60xZytFg8Mefrw4x_khXWzlJ52e-SU65R0xD76F1F6d-EbCdU_jd-gKVb8N/s640/blogger-image-132398534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOFWoLf4yPaQDt6hnsM8JxUWYTpTgUOo2tLhfaSicCqYV3jbBALKaLoZexgPvpkQbGGToCO_IdyaZbTQuS60xZytFg8Mefrw4x_khXWzlJ52e-SU65R0xD76F1F6d-EbCdU_jd-gKVb8N/s400/blogger-image-132398534.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one must lube the tubes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The port battery tube wouldn't seat properly. It turns out that the o-ring was dried out. I lightly filed the edge on the tubes and caps and applied oil to the rings. </div>
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Now both tubes are easier to open and close and the seals look much better.</div>
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Also pictured is the untested ballast correction on the starboard side. We hope to figure that out next week. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-67908492233630870542014-08-16T23:19:00.000-05:002014-08-16T23:19:36.231-05:00Grinding for mineTonight we spent time cleaning up the excess epoxy potting and re-testing the motors. Before grinding, these motors tested as electrically waterproof but that was before the propellers could be attached.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsj68e5jt-M4NnvbUt-HOc2TciR9f73jcDb7t2FB98MtylgjiTnz-AkwroDABchyphenhyphen2k5FSOt0W3oN63KOVP8wE2Sd5nLlFoCzJGgZweAuswEsIS337DMGy2Wclw4TAhNKcfX6qd71rV1W1/s640/blogger-image-534591944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsj68e5jt-M4NnvbUt-HOc2TciR9f73jcDb7t2FB98MtylgjiTnz-AkwroDABchyphenhyphen2k5FSOt0W3oN63KOVP8wE2Sd5nLlFoCzJGgZweAuswEsIS337DMGy2Wclw4TAhNKcfX6qd71rV1W1/s400/blogger-image-534591944.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard trimming away epoxy potting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As long as we don't trim too much epoxy off the motors they should stay waterproof.<br />
<br />
But they didn't. On one motor we lost all electrical insulation to the water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9g-gxT6TMyl1bxdi5_KVfG8TxaPr2YTZOBbGiR1LAdN1skuyYFhvw3yGGsZPkU9heyNt2JRm46ErpSVPX4vDJPGKH2f-ZApwGGK8LVbJXM4ZN4i_RWkD2RMBTnYqy1-vxQF9nEjK8LCy/s640/blogger-image-1457212042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9g-gxT6TMyl1bxdi5_KVfG8TxaPr2YTZOBbGiR1LAdN1skuyYFhvw3yGGsZPkU9heyNt2JRm46ErpSVPX4vDJPGKH2f-ZApwGGK8LVbJXM4ZN4i_RWkD2RMBTnYqy1-vxQF9nEjK8LCy/s400/blogger-image-1457212042.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>electrically leaky motor</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We hoped that touch-ups on these tiny spots on the motors will recover the electrical insulation and still allow the propeller bells to fit over the motors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-njpjoKJ0aY6TsbNZWUW1G57ZsFGVpoJOGSFxofH0ABZ3OfOJ200kCG_ihTkkVbYRp7TLhCb4O5bQuhCn8cczNnQ5rzrFISedRv41xqdN2awV-gTgLeRkElMP_yrhGcVOZcelGLcmRq4N/s640/blogger-image--1929577491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-njpjoKJ0aY6TsbNZWUW1G57ZsFGVpoJOGSFxofH0ABZ3OfOJ200kCG_ihTkkVbYRp7TLhCb4O5bQuhCn8cczNnQ5rzrFISedRv41xqdN2awV-gTgLeRkElMP_yrhGcVOZcelGLcmRq4N/s400/blogger-image--1929577491.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... And they did! The motors now show infinite electrical resistance to water and the propellers fit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzp_c9RUunqstajWZd7yTXSfDqVxIUq0DZmkNgQoAFwbYrPTVFFzroOLI1MHimsQ_XEGHjyqN5608sCAzs4uOTeFBGLpFNDenVY7QFm7LN2S62ZMDiBc-H27AD_NFD7qcC1JJ96JlXLEn/s1600/IMG_5826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzp_c9RUunqstajWZd7yTXSfDqVxIUq0DZmkNgQoAFwbYrPTVFFzroOLI1MHimsQ_XEGHjyqN5608sCAzs4uOTeFBGLpFNDenVY7QFm7LN2S62ZMDiBc-H27AD_NFD7qcC1JJ96JlXLEn/s1600/IMG_5826.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back side closeup of potted ROV motor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg58PK6yo4zUc5kbRVB2c_9Pz0lwqp_F7-S9gHZ1BGrGq00DRBSMl1SQXJGM7SBVyihdunrxGoEBR6cgVN_cSmQ5A9KrZxWC0kSWafC1z9GicItYoN3W7ybTaxDpUr9K1sxb9ZWbe3RbKj/s1600/IMG_5836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg58PK6yo4zUc5kbRVB2c_9Pz0lwqp_F7-S9gHZ1BGrGq00DRBSMl1SQXJGM7SBVyihdunrxGoEBR6cgVN_cSmQ5A9KrZxWC0kSWafC1z9GicItYoN3W7ybTaxDpUr9K1sxb9ZWbe3RbKj/s1600/IMG_5836.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front side closeup of potted ROV motor</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-78220440125134600552014-08-07T10:47:00.001-05:002014-08-13T18:08:04.954-05:00New openrov video<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/97062581" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
It helps me stay focused and committed to see a reminder of what we're building and contributing to.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089396701746973439.post-63818444960179986382014-08-04T14:08:00.000-05:002014-08-04T14:09:36.149-05:00Excuse me while I drip this outJames' previous post was referring to <a href="http://openrov.com/profiles/blogs/dst-700-motors-for-salt-water-mark-motors-part-3">this article</a> regarding re-potting our brushless motors. So, did it work??<br />
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We're not sure yet, but it certainly got better.<br />
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If we were experienced scientists already we would have written down the readings we took prior to re-potting the motors. But we didn't. My vague recollection of that evening was "it should have said zero but didn't" and I was too excited about finding the problem to remember to save any data. We think we saw readings from 0.09 to 0.20 Mohm on all three leads of all three motors and on one of the battery leads.<br />
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First we had to peel and pry off all of the blue tape epoxy molds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu0fvtQ7SulUgUHBGRfWxAcLAbN3s8DLEuznK8BjOFtSDvXK4oXTdLxZTjVBHoqcBeBBL2lZyKZvNmedUjUaqNFpIHeQ2QSJnQcmmALkshSUlL0oujnpl6oH3k4ckxC7lGxTHbdacjeeP/s640/blogger-image--889096449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu0fvtQ7SulUgUHBGRfWxAcLAbN3s8DLEuznK8BjOFtSDvXK4oXTdLxZTjVBHoqcBeBBL2lZyKZvNmedUjUaqNFpIHeQ2QSJnQcmmALkshSUlL0oujnpl6oH3k4ckxC7lGxTHbdacjeeP/s400/blogger-image--889096449.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James de-casing the freshly potted motors</td></tr>
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Then the epoxy required trimming as expected. We will have to touch this up later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iVSOQv-HrQ-7IeM86d09kXsJR0Ui0ULZUvwvkqjMThVP9ZY7x6Gf4fZjTrw8xFPJNAm0Gbo5Ky4XSh4KmAP17t6OOJHVxiQbqvV-5qZKEmke-is1L0iiZRaSEwliPZ4ghV_IW6ISV_dF/s640/blogger-image--1965548040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iVSOQv-HrQ-7IeM86d09kXsJR0Ui0ULZUvwvkqjMThVP9ZY7x6Gf4fZjTrw8xFPJNAm0Gbo5Ky4XSh4KmAP17t6OOJHVxiQbqvV-5qZKEmke-is1L0iiZRaSEwliPZ4ghV_IW6ISV_dF/s400/blogger-image--1965548040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The epoxy missed some spots</td></tr>
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Did we get better electrical results? Maybe! It seems like we did, anyway. Our numbers from this round were 5-15 Mohms. We think we can improve on this number with some epoxy touch-ups. </div>
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We also tested the previously repaired battery tube wire which no longer shows leakage to water. Yay!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0