Case Studies

Autonomous Floating and Underwater Robotic Platform

autonomous underwater robot
Posted in Application Development, Circuit Design, Consumer Goods, Embedded Development & Programming, PC Application Development, Product Development

Summary

DMC worked with a client to develop a universal platform for autonomous, floating and underwater robots. DMC engineers created a custom electronic design, wrote firmware, and developed a supporting PC application. The solution enables the robot to operate on battery power, recharge from an integrated solar panel, and leverage a comprehensive set of onboard sensors for precision navigation.

Solution

DMC’s comprehensive approach included the full implementation of the hardware, firmware, and PC application design.

By integrating a solar panel and employing efficient power management strategies, the robot can maintain extended battery life, reducing the frequency of manual recharging.

A high-performance MCU and IMU established a robust foundation for orientation tracking. In addition to IMU and magnetometer, the robot’s sensors include multiple distance measurement sensors to improve obstacle detection. This comprehensive sensor data, combined with advanced motor control, supports efficient and adaptive navigation in a range of environments.

underwater robot software

The inclusion of a wireless module simplifies over-the-air firmware updates and device configuration. The main MCU can be seamlessly placed into bootloader mode by the wireless module, ensuring smooth firmware updates for the main MCU. Additionally, the wireless module features its own firmware update capability, allowing for a comprehensive firmware update system.

DMC also developed a PC-based application that allows users to monitor sensor readings, adjust parameters, visualize the robot’s orientation, and control the robot in real time. This tool streamlined testing and optimization while laying the groundwork for more complex autonomous control algorithms.

underwater robot software

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Customer Benefits

  • Modern and flexible robotics platform
  • Efficient power management with advanced motor control and monitoring
  • Improved navigation performance over traditional solutions
  • Wireless connectivity for Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware updates  

Technologies

  • High-performance STM32 ARM Cortex microcontroller
  • IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), magnetometer, and advanced sensor fusion logic for accurate positioning and navigation
  • Optical distance sensing
  • Stepper, Brushed, and BLDC (Brushless DC) motor control
  • ESP32 wireless module with BLE/Bluetooth connectivity
  • PC-based application for real-time control and monitoring
  • Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates