Underwater R.O.V. Project
This article has all the information you need to complete a Science Fair Project, including instructional step-by-step video, documentation, required forms, experimentation tips and tricks, and how to squeeze your great idea into the scientific method. This project is for grades 9-12.
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You can order one from us using the link in the previous comment, or if you are an e-Science member (not just summer e-Camp), I send you two in the mail between month 2 and 3 of your enrollment!
i wanted to experiment with the small propeller, do you know were can i find it?
thanks
Eric
It’s the same propeller for the ROV as the Waterbot and the Hovercraft – it’s really a versatile propeller! And yes the car charger is a great choice for power. Use it with the 12V motors if you can find them, or 9V but keep an eye out for smoke (and a nose out) if the motors you opt to get can’t handle it.
ok when i opened the link it says 3-Blade Propeller
for the Hovercraft and Waterbot Project, witch is the big one? and i wanted to experiment with the small one to were can i find it? and i have a car charger that says for six & 12v batterys would that work for 9v or just 12 & 6v motors
thanks
No problem – happy to help! You can rip these off an old toy, or order them straight from us.
sorry i have so many questions but do younow where to buy propellers
so i have A car charger that says for six & 12v batterys would that work for 9v or just 12 & 6v motors
Yes, but then you’ll have to use 9V power, as 12V will burn out your motors. Note that the small 9V batteries in the grocery store do not have enough amperage for this project, so you’ll need to use a power supply. That’s why we suggest 12V motors, as car batteries are easy to find and use for this project.
can i use 9v motors
Not recommended for the ROV, because the ROV needs a more robust construction, what with water and car batteries involved. Index card and brass fastener switches are good for low-amperage circuits, like buzzers and LEDs, but when you start turning bigger motors, you want to use real components.
can I use home made DPDT switches out of paper clips & brass faseners or will that be too dangerous
I had to ask our pool manager for special permission, too. We also had luck in private swimming pools of friends, our small lake nearby, and a very large kiddie pool.
were can I use it i don’t now if they will let me use it at the local pool
We got ours from a place that still develops film here in town. You can use any small plastic container that will seal with a bit of hot glue. We do have the ROV essentials pack on our website that includes the canisters (we give you clear ones because they look way cooler), along with propellers, the DPDT switches, mesh, and more hard to find parts.
I can’t get film contianers, do you now how to find them?
Yes – you’ll want to connect the batteries in series: connect the plus of one to the minus of the other. Then run your wires from the ROV to the two remaining terminals: one of the wires connects to the positive on one and the negative terminal on the other. Does this help?
The shopping list specifies a 12-V battery, but suggests that 2 6-V latern batteries can be used. However, the video doesn’t show how to connect the wires to two batteries, but rather to a car charger. Any suggestions for how to accomplish this?
Thanks,
Michele
Yes – you can! I have a larger one called SeaFox that’s three times as big and uses bilge pumps (with the impellers removed and propellers attached). It’s so much more powerful, especially for my large camera and light array. I should take a picture of it – it’s sitting near the ceiling in my lab at the moment…
I wonder if it could be made larger.
You can find it at hardware stores, automotive stores, and hobby stores. It’s called ‘activator’ or ‘accelerator’. Here’s a link to amazon. It’s basically mineral oil, but you want it in a spray bottle so it’s easy to use (don’t get the brush-on type).
What is the manufacturer and part # of the spray catalyst for the glue? We’ve been trying to put this together but drying time is very long for the glue and would like to get the spray that you use to speed the drying time. Thanks!
-kate
This is the coolest project ever – I can’t wait to use it for my science fair project!