Description
Clear Blue Sea (CBS), a non-profit organization, has focused on removing the plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by designing and piloting a Floating Robot for Eliminating Debris (FRED). The goal for this project is to design and prototype two subsystems; a navigation and communication subsystem and a power subsystem. The navigation and communication subsystem will allow for tracking location, remote control of the vehicle, operational status and environmental conditions monitoring. The power subsystem will use solar power to operate the overall FRED system. Our objective is to integrate these subsystems with the other USD Clear Blue Sea team?s final prototype. This report discusses our objectives, requirements and functions of our subsystems. After extensive research on different components, we decided on utilizing high-quality and low-cost autopilot hardware. Rather than build from scratch our subteam switched gears and unanimously decided on using a flight controller and open drone software. This flight controller would then manage all the sensors and motors on the FRED unit itself, as well as allow for communication between the FRED system, a computer, and a handheld controller for manual inputs. For the power subsystem, it consists of 3 main parts: a solar panel, a battery and two motors. Solar panel converts solar energy into electric current, then power the thruster and the motor. Part of the generated electric power is stored into the battery for later use.
FRED Navigation & Communication Subsystem
Clear Blue Sea (CBS), a non-profit organization, has focused on removing the plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by designing and piloting a Floating Robot for Eliminating Debris (FRED). The goal for this project is to design and prototype two subsystems; a navigation and communication subsystem and a power subsystem. The navigation and communication subsystem will allow for tracking location, remote control of the vehicle, operational status and environmental conditions monitoring. The power subsystem will use solar power to operate the overall FRED system. Our objective is to integrate these subsystems with the other USD Clear Blue Sea team?s final prototype. This report discusses our objectives, requirements and functions of our subsystems. After extensive research on different components, we decided on utilizing high-quality and low-cost autopilot hardware. Rather than build from scratch our subteam switched gears and unanimously decided on using a flight controller and open drone software. This flight controller would then manage all the sensors and motors on the FRED unit itself, as well as allow for communication between the FRED system, a computer, and a handheld controller for manual inputs. For the power subsystem, it consists of 3 main parts: a solar panel, a battery and two motors. Solar panel converts solar energy into electric current, then power the thruster and the motor. Part of the generated electric power is stored into the battery for later use.