Structure and Fabrication Update: Week 3

Following the completion of the chassis of the SeaPerch, the motors were fully constructed. First, the motor wires were soldered to the motor leads. The motor wires were from a CAT5 cable so to access them the cable needed to be stripped and then the individual wires needed to be stripped. Then, the motors were covered in electrical tape to prevent water from entering the motor and then encased in the film canisters. There were holes cut into both the top and bottom of the film canisters to allow the motor shaft to come out of the top while the wires came out the back. Once the motor was in the film canister, wax was squeezed into the extra spaces, waterproofing the motor.
The mesh bottom was then attached to the bottom of the chassis by using the small black zip-ties in the kit. The excess was trimmed off to eliminate drag. The motors were then mounted to the chassis, as shown in the picture below, using zip-ties and holes drilled into the side support beams.

After the motors were secured the CAT5 cable used to house the motor wires was waterproofed at the area where the wires were exposed. This was done using the butyl rubber tape which was then covered with electrical tape to fully waterproof the area. In order to make sure the cable would not run into one of the motors during usage, the cable was mounted to the side of the chassis in two places to completely ensure it would not move about during submersible usage.
The SeaPerch is now currently ready for the Philadelphia Science Fair where we will be showcasing our submersible.

Daniel Stenger
Brian Bucci
James Esser