BudgetROV: An ultra low cost robotics platform for education and research

Abstract

With the proliferation of exciting tools such as GPS, voice assistants, and cloud computing, advanced technology is in the hands of the average person more than ever before. In the field of marine technology, this is especially true. Previously only the most well-funded research programs could afford equipment such as Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), but in recent years more cost efficient solutions have become available such as OpenROV and BlueROV [1]. However, no current options are cost-effective enough for large fleet use in smaller institutions. BudgetROV is an alternative platform with a BOM of under $300, meant to act as a platform for many other experiments. With two full liters of internal space, simple construction, and minimal system requirements, fleets of BudgetROVs could easily be used for swarm sensing applications in the water. This paper describes in detail the properties, advantages, and drawbacks of this platform for educational and scientific use. BudgetROV has already proven useful in the realm of education, and will be adapted for underwater microscopy in the coming months.