Design and Development of the AUV Harp

摘要

A mini AUV of length 4 [ft] and diameter 1 [ft], capable of locating and retrievingrna semi-rigid plastic ring on the bottom of a pond, is designed and developed atrnFlorida Atlantic University. The vehicle is named Harp as an acronym for HighlyrnAutonomous Roving Projectile. A vectored thruster is used both for maneuveringrnand for forward propulsion at a maximum speed of 2 [knots]. A TCM2 precisionrncompass is used for navigation. An acoustic homing system is used to detect thernbeacon and to provide the onboard computer with the bearing to that location. Arnvision system, consisting of a camera on a spear, is developed to recover the ringrnfrom the bottom of the pond. Two computers are used onboard, with the mainrncomputer dedicated for vehicle control and acoustic homing and the second onernfor the vision system. The vehicle, powered by lead-acid batteries, is designed tornendure in water for more than 2 [hrs] and up to a depth of 30 [ft].