SAUC-E is a European competition where teams have to design and build an autonomous robot submarine to complete a number of tasks. The task of building an AUV is far more complicated than any terrestrial robot project due to the water messing up everything.

Having a medium such a water leads to;

• Leaks (obviously)
• Distorted camera colors
• Limited wireless communication with the user to relay data. Below 1 meter most RF are absorbed.
• Needs expensive: sonar to scan the surroundings, gyro-super-compass module, depth sensor and connectors for components ouside the robot
• Odometry sucks and is proportional to the sonar and compass sample quality

Links:

Video coverage of the competition on BBC website. Our team shown for a few seconds at 20s through the video.

http://robolex.com/sauce/bbc-sauce-coverage

UWE project website

http://robolex.com/sauce/fluid-robotics

DSTL website

http://www.dstl.gov.uk/news_events/competitions/sauce/

Submarine Competition Images