Submarine Movie

[John.RedearthParticipant @john-redearth]

This little movie was made in Australia at Albert Park Lake on a couple of sunny days with Melbourne as a backdrop. It has a couple of iconic Das Boot shots and I had a bit of fun with the editing. All shots are taken using ‘tugcam,’ a tug boat with bow and midships camera systems. The bow camera was inversed for the underwater shots. The lake was deep and reedy so there were lots of shots ruined by the appearance of big reeds stuck to the boat etc. Plus reeds and deep water can spell disaster for the submariner, so some reasonable anxiety was also present. (Had my wetsuit in the car). Melbourne is blissfully unaware of the danger.

Both boats have at their core an arduino nano processor. The tug nano directs relays to move the cameras, but most importantly keeps the boat on course working to a compass.

The sub nano directs the relays inside the sub, uses readings from a pressure gauge to work a depth keeping routine, and has diving and surfacing routines.

The thing about arduino (nano microprocessors, and relays) is that they are as cheap as chips and are getting more accessible to modelers.

[John.RedearthParticipant @john-redearth]

A fun movie which demonstrates how arduino can revolutionise our hobby

[Terry PlumridgeParticipant @terryplumridge66794]

Brilliant, very atmospheric under water shots.

Cheers, Terry.

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

The thing about arduino (nano microprocessors, and relays) is that they are as cheap as chips and are getting more accessible to modelers.

They may be, but it's the code which is the critical thing to have. Is there any open source available for this sort of thing?

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Greetings DG,

Goto the Arduino website – all their code is open source and FREE and everyone helps each other with their projects. The code is very simple once you get started with it, but you do need a computer to transfer your code to the chip.

I now use the CodeBender website as you can create or copy the code directly on-line and simply plug in your Arduino to upload the "sketch" as the codes are called. There are currently 84 different Arduino boards and this site has 115058 freely available sketches already written. ALL Arduino code is open source. Also, Arduino can run Polulu boards (controlling as many servos as you may want – 18 is no problem) and Arduino is compatible with Adfruit and other systems. All you need is an idea. The submarine use is an absolute cracking example, well done John, all I can do at present is fish lights, drive servos and control motor drives, but I'm getting there.

And the Chinese copies work too – so for a very cheap outlay [£3.40 on Amazon] you can get your first board, a nano, and start experimenting. That's what I did. And it's fun too, making a robotic arm function and then converting it to be a crane on board ship.

Aye, Kimmo

[John.RedearthParticipant @john-redearth]

I made my 'sketch' by copying and building it like a frankenstein's monster, and going on the arduino forum and getting beaten up by nerds. I have it under 'resources' on my web page, and would recommend the intro movie arduinosub 5, on my ututbe channel. I am no expert but what I have works.

It's not just the cost of the parts but the other stuff that is amazing. An entire bank of 8 relays costs about $10. Attach that to an arduino and you have complete control of the relays from as little as two channels if you wish, and in the case of the sub add a pressure gauge and away you go. The camera boat has a compass in it so that it will hold a course while I do other things.

So if you can turn on lights, drive servos and control motor drives, well done. You are on the way and we can share sketches.

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Greetings John,

I'll have a look at your sketches, see if I can understand what you've been doing.

I shouldn't be too hard on the Arduino experts, calling them nerds is a bit harsh in this modern world, but I know what you mean. We think we have a massive problem to get our board to do something, they've already sold all the T shirts and moved on – but they do help and some of them are more than willing to assist – some can see that our uses could be their route to financial gain – all they need are the ideas and that there's a market out there for the finished product.

Hey, how many of us have seen boats under r/c control from mobile phones? Arduino can also be radio linked so it's quite possible to build your own unit exactly as you want it.

Happy sailing, aye Kimmo

[John.RedearthParticipant @john-redearth]

Have now added all circuit diags and the script to my web page. As I said before the real experts at this stuff could re write my code but what I have works, and that is all I care about.

Went to an open day at a place in the hills yesterday that occurs every year at a place owned by a very wealthy guy. He has numerous working vintage cars, and steam railway and a lake for boats. The lake is nice although quite deep. I was there with the boat club and he wandered down just as I had the sub running. He then told me he would announce over the loudspeakers that all the guests should come and see the Uboat. Now this is the issue. There is an inverse proportional law that you all know about.

The batteries were getting down so I pulled it out while I waited for the crowd and turned it off. When I turned it on the main power decided not to work. Off with the top. I think it was a new connector causing the problem that I had made for a new battery pack. It was. Of course this major problem has just accidentally rectified itself and it all looks good, so off into the public gaze I go. Hoping.

I put it into the water and re trimmed it.

So they all came with their cameras and I ran the boat out and did one lap and then made a slow dive. Put it into auto depth keep and did two slow laps, picking my way around the surface boats and then turned off auto depth keep and turned on the surface routine. It broke the surface and did exactly what it was meant to do.
It was flawless. No-one knows how the submariner sweats.

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