Embedded Files
The Urchin, fully assembled — clear pressure hull with syringe-driven ballast system, sealed by an external bracket flange that clamps the two hull halves together.
Project Overview
Designed and prototyped a deployable underwater robot to verify safe water depths for cliff jumpers. The device operates like an autonomous submarine: it sinks, measures hydrostatic pressure at the bottom, utilizes a motor-driven syringe to ascend, and transmits the maximum depth data to a user's smartphone upon surfacing.
Engineering Highlights & Individual Contributions
Systems Analysis & Mechatronic Constraints: Provided the underlying engineering rigor for a rapid "build-and-test" methodology. I calculated the overall system buoyancy (volume-to-weight constraints) and the required motor torque for the motor-driven syringe system. These calculations established the core mechatronic constraints necessary to guarantee successful descent and autonomous surfacing.
Enclosure Fabrication & Structural Sealing: Hands-on involvement in the hybrid manufacturing process, including vacuum-forming a PETG shell over a custom FDM PLA mold. I successfully seated and sealed the primary O-ring gasket to the main casing, and assisted in the physical integration of the fluid-routing bulkhead, utilizing marine epoxy to secure all hull penetrations against water ingress.
Iterative Validation & Leak Testing: Designed the enclosure for a 20ft maximum operating depth and co-led progressive leak testing (at 8ft and 17ft depths) using ballasted mock-ups and dry-tissue moisture indicators. Analyzed early-stage flooding failures and iterated on our sealing methodology until we successfully validated the full IP68 mission profile in a 17ft pool.
Measured vs. Actual: Measured depth tracked true depth closely (R² = 0.87), with minor deviation attributed to sensor calibration and noise
Electronics Integration
Internal electronics stack: microcontroller, pressure sensor, transmitter, and battery integrated into the sealed housing.
Ballast Mechanism Design
Exploded CAD assembly showing the syringe ballast mechanism and the internal structure holding the motor and syringe in place.
Engineering Calculations
Hand calculations for syringe force and torque requirements at 20 ft target depth.
Field Testing
Urchin during an 8 ft depth trial.
Urchin Project Poster.pdfFinal project poster presented at UCSB ME153 Design Competition, Spring 2025.
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