Aqua Bob

Inspiration

Fishackathon 2016 New York City, Hosted by U.S. State Department

What it does

GPS/Ultrasonic Fishing Equipment Tracker

How we built it

Concepts and a lot of research on material, design, and performance.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into multiple problems along the way. The first was the material that could withstand the depth of ocean, and also the damage from constant use. Also, the erosion from the salt water was another problem.

We wanted to use a piezoelectric pendulum to act as a generator to create power for our GPS tracker, when the Aqua Bob was above water, and the ultrasonic location transmitter placed on the top and bottom of the outer shell of the Aqua Bob. We then realized that in order for a pendulum to work, it would have to be sitting up right. Therefore we created a gyroscope using a two shell system. This made the outer shell engraved with ball bearings to help move the inner shell.

Also, we came up with an idea to use underwater ultra sonic location transmitters that are used on air plane black boxes, and we had the problem of adding the transmitters on the second outer shell of the Aqua Bob, since it was made with a two shell systems, with a gyroscopic behavior.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

This was our first hackathon, and I believe that we did a great job. We came without any real plan, and we were able to produce something I am truly proud of. I am proud of my teammates and grateful for all the support and help from the staff from GreenWave and Patagonia. Also, our professor David Eve, and Associate Professor Joe Lee.

What we learned

We learned how to become a team player, and also a lot of design and engineering behind creating something within 24 hours. In addition, we learned how to use our time wisely and also create something with a strong base.

What's next for Aqua Bob

We hope to create a physical concept and pursue our ideas of creating a safer ocean for every living creature.