SAUVC 2025 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
AUV development for the Singapore AUV Challenge
Developed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) within a tight one-month timeframe and passed the competition video qualification on the first attempt for HKUST.
I participated heavily in the algorithm and hardware design, which included placing the electronics in a waterproof housing for the first time. I also developed a new communication protocol between the AUV and the topside control station, utilizing a brand-new Pixhawk flight controller and an NVIDIA Jetson computer.
For my first AUV project, I designed a robust navigation algorithm for the qualification task that guides a robot through a gate and back to its starting point. Using computer vision, the algorithm tracks thick lines on the pool floor to reach the target. Once it registers a designated visual signal, it executes a U-turn and returns. By relying on deterministic image processing rather than machine learning, the system bypasses common vulnerabilities related to poor training data quality and environmental inconsistencies.
Skills Earned: Rapid Development, Hardware Design, Computer vision.