Hydrus
Our latest generation Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, engineered for excellence in the RoboSub competition.
Mechanical Design
Hydrus's main hull is composed of a central aluminum cabin, which serves as the main hub for connections and wiring, and two acrylic cabins on either side for storing electrical components. This dual-hull design is complemented by a mechanical claw for object manipulation and a forward-facing ZED 2i camera housed in its own acrylic cabin, capable of 180° movement to enhance visibility. A torpedo launching system is also integrated into the design.
Electrical Systems
The power system on Hydrus operates on two voltage phases, 22V and 12V, supplied by a 22.8V, 23,000mAh battery. A central, custom-designed PCB distributes power, with a ZK-12KX voltage regulator stepping down voltage for the 12V phase. To protect critical components like thrusters and micro-computers, the system incorporates a network of fuses and relays. The PCB was specifically redesigned to accommodate the integration of the gripper and torpedo systems.
Software Architecture
Hydrus is powered by a sophisticated software stack running on ROS (Robot Operating System). Our custom computer vision, state estimation, and path planning algorithms enable fully autonomous operation in complex underwater environments.