ELiSE – Europa life Submersible Explorer

 

Description

EliSE is a robot submersible probe designed to search the under ice oceans of the Jovian moon, Europa. The current version of EliSE is powered by two 6VDC motors and two 40mm propellers. The depth that EliSE operates at is determined by diving planes and a movable lead ‘slug’ that alters the trim of the submarine. The direction of the submarine is determined by a twin rudder system. All diving planes, rudders and slug are positioned by two servos.

EliSE is controlled by a PICAXE 28X1 micro processor, on an AXE020 board. EliSE is re-programmable via a UFR/ERF radio link and has 2 sonars for navigation/hazard detection, multi-frequency lights, and on-board data logger to record experimental data and a wireless video camera. EliSE is also equipped with two external sample probes – a rock scraper to collect samples of any algal or bacteriological mats that may be growing on rocks and a floating partical sampler to collect any floating organisms.

 

Competitions and appearances

• Winner Big Bang Near me London Regional Competition 2014
• Winner Big Bang Near me London Regional Engineering Ethos Award 2014
• Finalist National Big Bang Finals 2015

Project Pipe

The development of EliSE is listed by prototype, below:

Mk I EliSE

Watertight hull, Drive systems, Diving planes and rudders, Wireless camera Concrete ballast tubes/skids, PICAXE mater control system, Multi frequency lights, first water tight test successful.

Category winner Big Bang Near Me, Winner NSEC Regional Engineering Ethos Award

 

Mk II EliSE

New skid/ballast system fitted, slug trim system developed and fitted, new deck made and fitted, rock scrape sampler and pelagic microbe sampler constructed and fitted.

 

Mk III EliSE

Sonars fitted, PICAXE sonar board fitted, Sonar board/PICAXE master board interface constructed and programmed, URF/ERF radio re-programmer and interface constructed an fitted, PICAXE data-logger and sensors fitted, maiden Voyage in a swimming pool.

Finalist National Big Bang Fair NSEC Young Engineers Competition.

 

 

 EliSE requires funding to allow further development.

 

Further marks of EliSE will have:

• New aft dome
• New prop shaft tube
• New larger submarine propeller
• Improved streamlining
• Final ballasting

 

Estimated cost for these enhancements:

£300.00