Mechanical & Electronics Group
The Mechanical & Electronics Group is responsible for the mechanical design and electronics integration of the Penn State Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (PSU AUV). This team is led by Peter Blasco (grad, AERSP) and comprises team members David Blyton (Senior, AERSP), Willie Costa (Grad, AERSP), and Eric Ly (Senior, AERSP). The team supervises the design and fabrication of electrical and mechanical systems. Tasks include sizing of the vehicle, thruster placement, design of actuation systems, layout of electronics, and fabrication of all vehicle components.
The team uses an iterative design process supplemented by 3D SolidWorks models to appropriately size the vehicle. A weight estimation is updated as components and parts are added to the vehicle. This weight estimation concurrently determines sizing of pressure vessels to give slightly positive buoyancy. The current vehicle is designed with two primary pressure vessels: one for computing systems and one for batteries and motor electronics. Primary fabrication methods include laser cutting acrylic sheets, water jetting aluminum, and machining aluminum parts.