Next 3-week project: Sub radar system - Working radar system based on ultrasound

[jsl]

So...

Our next submarine add-on project has been determined.

Our short 3-week project period this winter will be spent developing and building a short range radar system for a model sub. (Actually, the system can just as well be mounted on any surface vessel).

It will be a fairly simple system based on the step-by-step project method used in our mid-term project, but the desireable end result will be something like this]http://www.subcommittee.com/forum/icon_cool.gif[/img]

The system should enable a sub, either autonomous or piloted, to be able to detect surface objects, as to avoid collisions or navigate crowded waters.

This sensor system is intended to be one more modular system for our sub. The backbone of all systems will be a network connecting all modular units.

Two other teams will busy themselves in the 3-week period doing some more advanced regulation protocols and a universal serial data logging system using a small removable Flash-card repectively.

[bradv]

So, how will you get

So, how will you get the data back to the operator's display on the surface when the sub is well submerged? A wire to an R/C sub seems a little redundant (and not as much fun!), otherwise you'll need a pretty grunty transmitter operating in the HF / lower VHF frequency range to overcome the water's surface refraction and ionic absorbtion.

Sounds fun though Good luck!

[jsl]

The "radar" will only work

The "radar" will only work when the sub is surfaced or at periscope depth.

The data to/from the radar module will be done by serial communication. So, the data will actually be available within the sub. In the future ideal scenario, the radar data will be moved to the communications module via the backbone network and transmittet via UHF radio link or ultrasound underwater link.

But since no such communication module has been developed yet, we will have to rely on something a little simpler in the beginning. Besides, we design from the intent, that any module should be able to function alone, as well as a part of a larger system.

As the radar will only function from the surface or periscope depth, a very simple one-way UHF link based on a cheap pair of FRS/PMR-style radioes will have to do. If the radar is activated, an antenna next to the radar will return the data.

[koeze]

And that would be a

And that would be a great future project. Serial communication via a homemade acoustic modem. Would allow some pretty good options in submarine modelling.
No problems with interferring radio waves.
Bi directional communications
Datalogging
Using two receivers it would allow position detection for lost subs. Have the sub respond to a detection ping and measure the time it takes the reply to get back to both receivers and you can calculate the distance travelled.

etc,etc....

Keep it up.

Erik Jan