Design of Fluidic Control Board for SeaPerch II

SeaPerch is a STEM K-12 program born out of MIT that introduces students to the world of underwater robotics by building an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Using a hands-on approach, students are introduced to fundamental science and engineering skills with topics including buoyancy, circuits, soldering, and ship/submarine design [1]. In addition, there is an annual International SeaPerch challenge where the SeaPerch community comes together to compete in a series of challenges testing maneuverability, control, and utility. This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their own creativity, as well as skills they have learned with the SeaPerch program [2].SeaPerch was developed in 1997 and has already been integrated into many STEM curricula. In China, SeaPerch was used in a summer camp that reported highly engaged students who were excited about a project-based learning experience [3]. A one-week summer STEM academy in Texas added SeaPerch to its curriculum, and found that it increased the confidence, interest, and knowledge of STEM for incoming 7th grade girls [4]. The success of SeaPerch can also be found when looking at the interest and motivation level of participating students, the growth in registration and retention rates, and the quality of the final product developed by teams [1]. With the support of the engineering community, the impact of SeaPerch will continue to grow.Since SeaPerch’s development almost three decades ago, there have been several technological advancements in computer science and hardware fields. To keep up with this increasing emergence of new technology, development of SeaPerch II is underway at MIT. The new ROV will update existing modules by improving motor, camera, and sensor capabilities. It will also add new modules, focusing on Arduino microcontrollers and soft robotics. The emphasis through the entire design process was on accessibility, by ensuring that components used are affordable for any teacher, parent, or student. Additionally, all the new features will be implemented with tiers in the curriculum to target all students, regardless of skill level.This paper introduces a fluidic control board made to hydraulically actuate the three-channeled soft robotic gripper module. The board’s main components include a pump to deliver water to the system, solenoid valves to direct flow to the three chambers, pressure sensors to read the pressure in the chambers, and an Arduino microcontroller to direct all these actions. By including all these components, it will introduce students to STEM concepts and help them build a strong foundation in electromechanical and fluidic systems.SeaPerch II and its new modules will provide a deeper educational foundation for students. Introducing students to cutting edge technology at an early age will help increase diversity in STEM programs and reinforce interest in students who would like to pursue careers in STEM. Skills learned will help students grow as learners and be able to solve problems not only in their future careers, but in everyday life [5].