Warsaw University of Technology students will print a robot for a competition in the US

The task of the Robotics Section of Students\' Space Club at Warsaw University of Technology is to build a ROV (ang. Remotely Operated Vehicle) - a remote-controlled underwater robot, which will perform a series of missions in a special pool - told PAP the Warsaw University of Technology spokeswoman, Aneta Pyrzanowska.

The robot, called Tryton, is a unique design in the competition, the spokeswoman emphasised.

She explained that the students decided to move away from the traditional design, based on a stable frame and a rectangular hull, in favour of small size and dynamics provided by an oval shape of the robot. Work on the project is carried out using professional software SolidWorks provided by DPS Software. The entire hull will be made with the innovative method of 3D printing, which allows for freedom of designing details and reduces the risk of leaks at the joints of parts. The highest quality of workmanship is ensured by the company Zortrax, operating in the field of 3D printing technology.

Tryton prototype has recently successfully passed leak, motor and control system tests. In the near future the students will work on improving propulsion and equipment necessary to perform specific tasks.

Axxording to Pyrzanowska, in this year\'s competition the ROVs must demonstrate exceptional versatility. They will have to perform not only simulated underwater missions (such as equipment recovery from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico or analysing coral samples), but also a space mission, like studying of the ocean beneath the surface of Jupiter\'s moon Europa.

Robots will perform these tasks in the world\'s largest pool containing 23 million litres of water, with a depth of 12 m, located in the NBL laboratory at NASA\'s Johnson Space Center in Houston (USA). These parameters allow to simulate both conditions on the ocean floor, and zero gravity, which NASA uses in zero-g training.

Warsaw University of Technology students still have a lot of work ahead of them. The most urgent task is to record a video, which will present a robot performing one of the competition missions. This will allow the team to qualify for the event scheduled for 23-25 June 2016 in Houston.

Members of SKA Robotics of the Students\' Space Club already have experience in competitions in the United States, where they competed several times with their Martian rovers. "We want to repeat this achievement, this time with an underwater robot" - says team leader Mateusz Płonka.

In the underwater robot project students from Warsaw University of Technology cooperate with the Faculty of Applied Informatics and Mathematics SGGW-WULS.

Travel to the US for the competition will be possible with funding awarded to the Robotics Section by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the framework of the project "Best of the Best". This project promotes the development of science by supporting Polish teams participating in international competitions.

This is yet another team of students from Warsaw University of Technology preparing for this prestigious event. The competition will be held in June in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston. Another team from Warsaw University of Technology applying for participation in the competition MATE 2016 is the team of the Underwater Robotics Student Club.

For more information about the MATE competition visit www.marinetech.org/rov-competiton

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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