I love the ocean and exploring. During the summer (and sometimes during the winter!) you can find me lounging on the beach, enjoying the sun and water, and spotting critters and creatures out in the deep blue.
It was no surprise that the idea came to me that an ROV would be so much fun to have and use. Unfortunately, as with many things I think about, the cost is prohibitive for the hobbyist. I’ve worked with and around ROVs before, most notably BlueROV in my Major Qualifying Project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and commercial models start at the thousands of dollars range and only go upwards from there. I set out to make an affordable ROV that the hobbyist can afford and build, armed only with PVC, a hobbyist 3D-printer, cheap commercial off-the-shelf electronics, and lots of epoxy.
So far I’ve had it swimming in a bathtub while I piloted by ethernet in another room, but there are many things that I need to change before I’d feel comfortable releasing everything to the public for people to make themselves!
Lombardi Engineering 