Boat Testing

Josh and Nick finished up the boat today and put the boat in water to test to see if it would float.  It did float and once Josh turned the motor on, the boat moved around.  However due to the small space, the boat couldn't complete the planned route.

Arduino Code

This is the final Arduino code for our boat.  Josh created the motor and routes for the boat to follow while Nick created the LED code and for LED's to light up to indicate the direction of turning.  Together, we then combined the two codes onto one single code.

Video of It Working on a Desk - Dry Run

Laser Cut Frame and 3D Printed Propellors

This is the support structure for the arduino, motors and LED lights.  The motor's will be hot glued into each hole on the upright structure with fan blades attached to move the boat.  The two pieces fit perfectly according to Nick's calculations so they were hot glued together.  Josh's measurements were slightly off on the motor structures so Josh used a dremel to widen the hole.  Afterwards, the motor fit in perfectly and was hot glued in.  The bottom structure was the perfect size for the circuit board to rest on and the screw holes on the board matched up to the screw holes on the structure.  Then the fan blades were hot glued to the motor and Josh's dimensions fit perfectly, enabling the fan blades to not hit each other.

Beginning the Design

Nick Sylvia and Josh Morris will be doing an arduino power fan boat. We plan to use two motors as a turning system with corresponding lights to indicate the direction of turning.

Nick- Began drawing up the truss structure that will support the motors and the arduino above the boat structure.  We plan to laser cut the two trusses from 1/8" acrylic.

Josh- Did some calculations to make sure that this would actually float in water.  It looks like we will need to add an outrigger to help support the boat and keep it level.  He also wrote a program for the first of the 3 preprogrammed routes that the boat will move along.

First Update

Our project will involve using a milk carton to create a boat like structure and arduino fan blades to move the boat around similar to an airboat.

To start:
Nick- Began created the blog and began documenting our progress on the project.
Josh - Created a general overview of how we would like to arrange the boat and motors in solidworks.