Oogway: Stability and Refinement
Oogway is holding steady during our pool tests. We successfully mitigated leaks in both the main and battery capsules by identifying a specific failure point: the penetrator was clamping down on the inner power wires rather than the hard cable jacket.
Beyond waterproofing, we’re focusing on hardware longevity. The rusted torpedo nuts have been replaced, and while a rusted grub screw is currently delaying the replacement of the main spur gear, we have a plan in place. To wrap up Oogway’s recent updates, we’ve ordered new nylon battery capsule clamps and will be applying Loctite to the battery capsule latches to prevent unwanted rotation.
Crush: Troubleshooting and Redesign
Crush’s journey to the pool hit a snag when we discovered water pooling inside the hull after only a minute of submersion. Through targeted testing, we traced the leak to a new penetrator in the backplate. To resolve this, we stripped the old epoxy and applied a putty seal around the entire assembly; subsequent sink tests show no visible water intake. While thruster issues have delayed us slightly, we are officially scheduled for pool testing on April 4th.
On the design front, marker dropper has been moved beneath the mount bars to accommodate new buoyancy edits, making it much easier to load marker balls. Added M3 heat-set inserts and a lower-profile mounting system for a more streamlined build. In addition, a new prototype of the case has been tested and a new front camera mount is in the works.
The New Robot: Prototyping & Components
While the final hull dimensions are pending the completion of the electrical stack, development is moving fast in other areas. We’ve integrated new camera mounts for the D455 Real Sense Camera and are currently developing a custom underwater enclosure designed to minimize optical distortion.
The arrival of new hardware such as eight thrusters, two waterproof servos, and specialized servo cables are a huge win. This allows us to begin mocking up the frame and testing critical actuators, like the gripper and marker dropper, independently.
Only one month left, and the pressure is on (pun intended). Go Mechanical!