The mechanical team is responsible for creating a buoyant and stable ASV hull, and creating the propulsion system for the ASV. The hull must be no more than six feet in length, and four feet in width, and may not surpass 75 lbs according to Roboboat competition rules. The mechanical also ensures the components and connectors used by the electrical, autonomy and perception team are waterproof in advance of in-water testing or competition.

The mechanical team also creates a simple transport cart to move the hull (in a hackathon where the team attempts to make the cart in just three hours!)

The electrical team is responsible for designing a sufficient sensor suite at a minimal cost, integrating the payload computer with the sensors on-board, and designing and installing an e-stop safety system, with both physical and remote access. Additionally, the electrical team works with the mechanical team to ensure motor control for the propulsion system.

The autonomy team is responsible for creating path planning and behaviour
planning algorithms for the ASV. Additionally, the autonomy team will work with all other members responsible for propulsion to implement effective and robust control.

It is likely that, in the inaugural year, the methods used for each of the mentioned autonomy principles will be relatively simple; A* for path planning, simple if-else behaviour, and PID control. However, this will build a solid foundation for the team to create more complex and effective autonomy in future years.

The perception team handles localization, mapping and obstacle detection using data from the sensor suite, and hence will work closely with the electrical team to determine specifications and placement for each sensor.

The perception team will relay data to the autonomy team to be interpreted and used to influence the ASV’s behaviour. As there is no given map for the RoboBoat competition, the perception team will be fully responsible for relaying maps to the autonomy team.