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 an active ballast system 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 active ballast 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: Co-led progressive pressure and 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.