Junior Design of Autonomous Surface Utility Vehicle (ASUV): A Project Based Approach for Knowledge Integration

Mario Miranda

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Oceans & Marine Technical Session
Tagged Division: Ocean and Marine
Page Count: 13
Page Numbers: 22.986.1 - 22.986.13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--18226
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/18226
Download Count: 716

Paper Authors

biography

Mario Miranda II Florida Atlantic University

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I am a Junior level, undergraduate student at Florida Atlantic University, majoring in Ocean Engineering with a geology minor in Marine Geosciences. I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida by the parents of Mario and Susan Miranda. I have previously worked for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute as a project intern for the design of the Red Lobster sponsored lobster collection vessel that is undergo in the Turks and Cacaos. I currently hold the Propulsion chair for the Human Powered Submarine team at FAU, making my duties responsible for the design of the power-train and propeller characteristics and autonomously controllable pitch system. I am also developing an acoustic modem for subsurface telemetry under the guidance of Dr. Ravi Shankar and Dr. Pierre-Philippe Beaujean, FAU. I have taken it upon my self to expand my knowledge as a highly motivated undergraduate student and my goal is to share the experience that I have been given the opportunity for in hope, to inspire other system engineering students alike. As a team, the effort of this project has been in part by the help of the Department of Ocean and System Engineering staff including Ed Henderson, Tom Pantelakis, Robert Coulson and Frederick Knapp. Most importantly, this project and the many doors of opportunity it has brought me would have never have happened if it weren't for the Project Mentor, Dr. Edgar An, Director of Advanced Marine Systems at Florida Atlantic University.

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Abstract

Junior Design of Autonomous Surface Utility Vehicle (ASUV): A Project Based Approach for Engineering Education The scope of this paper has been prepared to share the compiled methodologies and skillsthat are necessary for undergraduate engineering students to be able to mesh what is taught in aclass room with real time application. Success of the undergraduate relies on how equipped thestudent is to complete the capstone senior design project and future development of cutting edgetechnology. The courses that are taken as preparation for system engineering include standardmechanical studies such as Static, Dynamic and Structural Analysis but also software andhardware engineering courses, such as C Programming for Engineers, Circuit Analysis andElectronics. These types of collegiate engineering classes that are taken on a general level in allsystem engineering disciplines are supposed to provide the theory that is needed to build asystem, however, they do not teach the tools that are needed to transform what can theoreticallybe done into reality. The current engineering curriculum has been designed to catch the studentup with the needed academic concepts, however, when the student enters in the senior designprogram, they do not know how to logistically fit all the pieces together to make a fullyembedded system. The opportunity of this development is to serve as a demonstrated pilotproject for students that want the hands on learning experience in system engineering design thatcannot be taught in a text book. The purpose of this project was to develop and intellectuallyactivate what is needed to interface educational theory into an applicable electro-mechanicalsystem. The goal was to design a fully autonomous surface utility vehicle (ASUV) that runs on atime based mission using dead reckoning navigation via an electronic compass. Therequirements of the vehicle were to ensure that it is cost effective, simple to deploy, lightweight,robust and easy to operate, and should have adequate payload capacity to carry a variety ofsensory devices. The navigational, propulsion, data logging and communication systems are fullycontrolled by a Rabbitcore microcontroller that runs on a C programming based platform. Theapplication of this vehicle has been designed to serve the military and scientific researchindustries. The naval background of this utility vehicle can be used to carry onboard sensors forsurface to subsurface telemetry, port and hostile water surveillance with acoustic imagingsystems, drone carrier and transport system, or it can even be interfaced in a swarm of otherASUVs to work as a fleet carrying out multi-vehicle missions. Other applications can be used inoceanographic research to be provided as a tow vessel to carry multi-beam sonar systems anduseful sensors that perform bathymetric and environmental surveys. The outcome of this projectis a needed experience for any engineering student because it is a stepping stone from thecollegiate environment to professional development which will link the integration ofeducational knowledge with practical design tactics.

Citation
Format

Miranda, M. (2011, June), Junior Design of Autonomous Surface Utility Vehicle (ASUV): A Project Based Approach for Knowledge Integration Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18226

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -              Junior Design of Autonomous Surface Utility Vehicle (ASUV):                   A Project Based Approach for Engineering Education        The scope of this paper has been prepared to share the compiled methodologies and skillsthat are necessary for undergraduate engineering students to be able to mesh what is taught in aclass room with real time application. Success of the undergraduate relies on how equipped thestudent is to complete the capstone senior design project and future development of cutting edgetechnology. The courses that are taken as preparation for system engineering include standardmechanical studies such as Static, Dynamic and Structural Analysis but also software andhardware engineering courses, such as C Programming for Engineers, Circuit Analysis andElectronics. These types of collegiate engineering classes that are taken on a general level in allsystem engineering disciplines are supposed to provide the theory that is needed to build asystem, however, they do not teach the tools that are needed to transform what can theoreticallybe done into reality. The current engineering curriculum has been designed to catch the studentup with the needed academic concepts, however, when the student enters in the senior designprogram, they do not know how to logistically fit all the pieces together to make a fullyembedded system. The opportunity of this development is to serve as a demonstrated pilotproject for students that want the hands on learning experience in system engineering design thatcannot be taught in a text book. The purpose of this project was to develop and intellectuallyactivate what is needed to interface educational theory into an applicable electro-mechanicalsystem. The goal was to design a fully autonomous surface utility vehicle (ASUV) that runs on atime based mission using dead reckoning navigation via an electronic compass. Therequirements of the vehicle were to ensure that it is cost effective, simple to deploy, lightweight,robust and easy to operate, and should have adequate payload capacity to carry a variety ofsensory devices. The navigational, propulsion, data logging and communication systems are fullycontrolled by a Rabbitcore microcontroller that runs on a C programming based platform. Theapplication of this vehicle has been designed to serve the military and scientific researchindustries. The naval background of this utility vehicle can be used to carry onboard sensors forsurface to subsurface telemetry, port and hostile water surveillance with acoustic imagingsystems, drone carrier and transport system, or it can even be interfaced in a swarm of otherASUVs to work as a fleet carrying out multi-vehicle missions. Other applications can be used inoceanographic research to be provided as a tow vessel to carry multi-beam sonar systems anduseful sensors that perform bathymetric and environmental surveys. The outcome of this projectis a needed experience for any engineering student because it is a stepping stone from thecollegiate environment to professional development which will link the integration ofeducational knowledge with practical design tactics.
AU  - Mario Miranda II
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Junior Design of Autonomous Surface Utility Vehicle (ASUV): A Project Based Approach for Knowledge Integration
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/18226
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--18226
ER  -