Introduction: RoboFish Made From Pvc Water Pipe

About: Im Eric Dirgahayu , im a robot maker at diy project

Hello all, this time I am going to introduce my robot fish, actually I have long made it and therefore I apologize if the tutorial I don't have complete photo documentation. fish robot frame is made of pvc water pipes, the mechanism using a waterproof servos and controller using the arduino promini.

This robot made future plans are to become a tool to study underwater ecosystems , equipped with various sensors such as pH sensors, water depth sensor , sonar , camera and so on so the robot is able to detect the quality of water and ecosystems therein . And researching a type of fish without scaring the fish life because the robot will be united with them .

Step 1: Tools Required

1. 3 inch water pipe PVC (the thin water pipe more recommended)

2. 5 water proof Servo

3. Arduino Promini

4. IR remote (Tv or mp3 remote)

5. t-sop (IR Receiver)

6. Ubec (Power Protection)

7. 2Cell lipo battery 1000mAh

8. 50ml Injection

9. 14 little spring ( i take from the ballpoint)

10. a used tube one push parfume

11. T-shirt Transfer paper (water proof)

12. Super strong Glue

Step 2: Making a Head Robofish

First we prepare materials that we will use to create the head of robot fish. the material is a flatten water pipe pvc how to Flatten the water pipe you can see on my previous Intructables here

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-flatten-the...

If you already get flatted pvc, you can download PDF patterns design head of Robot Fish at this step or at my website

print image pattern be sure the size is correct , cut and paste the pattern print on pvc flatt and cut the pvc plate fits a pattern, Paste the pattern on each side of the pattern like in the picture, for buckling pvc use blowers to heat the pvc later buckling. it is the same way you make a papercarft but it using a pvc flat. to connect each section use super strong glue (nb : be carefull using a super glue). For the gill cover using a small hinge so that it could move to open the lid. make a hole on the lip and head of robot Fish like the last picture. join the part using a screw. last making a hoe for screw on the top dan botoom the head like the picture that screw hole for join the head to the body.

Step 3: Body Part

Cut the 3 inch water pipe along a 10cm. shape up water pipes from the circle to the form as in the picture to make the flap use the blower to heat water pipes so easily formed (nb use masks during the process of heating water pipe). having Formed grooves cut in the left and right side on one side look at the picture. on the last part in cut grooves, add flats shaped like in the first picture and paste it in the body.

Step 4: Tail Part

the tail of the fish is very important because it is part of the driving force for the robot fish so that it could move forward. Print the pattern provided in the PDF that I include in this Intructables cut and paste the pattern print on PVC flett then cut into appropriate shapes pattern. There are 8 part tail bones connected, We will make the bones one by one starting from the largest.

Look at picture 2. create shapes no.1 and shapes strip no.1 and 1' from flat pvc, marge the strips flat-shaped as picture No. 1 and 1 ' around the bones no.1 use super glue. attach the small plate if the already existing screw hole on the top of the bottom right and left of the bone look at picture no 2 and 3. do the same thing on all the bone until the smallest bones.

If all the bones are already formed, it's time to unify all of the part using the couplers at the connecting plate look at the picture no 3-5.in the smallest bone or the tip of the tail. attach the rod screw small screw foot long use atanu upside down.

on the bone to 3 and 5 to attach the servo, and also prepare a small spring. install the spring on the part of the bone to bone side left and right so that the tail will remain in a State of straight when no control.

Step 5: Part Pectoral Fins and Tail Fins

just like the previous step and make tail pattern prin patterns on plate pvc. make 2 pieces on each part, provide also an elastic transparent plastic, plastic insert between 2 layers of already formed plate fins, with the use of glue super glue. attach also specer at the base of fins, it pays to connect the fins into the body of the robot. look at the picture for more detail.

Step 6: Part : Ballast Tank

This part a bit tricky, you need electronic and part components that may be difficult in a can. provide an injection 50 ml. discard stem injections and replace with the long rod rod matched with injections, at the top of the injection of pairs gear road look at the 3d picture 4-5. Plug the small dc motor gearbox to de gear who conected to the rod , I get a small dc motor the gearbox from the broken digital camera. picture no.6 and 7.

test the dc motor with gearbox battery when the gearbox and rod is already working now you should cover them all with a flat pair formed pvc are also marge the former tubes parfume for compacting air, make sure the cover and airtight canisters.

Step 7: Part : Safety Box

Safety Box, this box is airtight which the electronic system in save. To make it we need the pattern the pattern obtained from the fitting space on the body of the robot fish, in the body of the robot before making the pattern should be installed all of the components that must be installed in the body of the robot, such as servo for fins and ballast tanks pic.no 2 .

use the paper to make a pattern, the pattern in may in a flat on pvc paste and cut. cut the pvc plate approximately 7cm x 5 cm. fold pvc to form around 100 degre, to form use the hot blowers, as shown in the picture. Paste on pattern first use super strong glue pic.12. follow the process in the next following step-step on the images with the same method on the start process, so that the formed Box with shapes that fit goes into the body of the robot fish.

to cover part of the back you need to install the rubber band water resistant and cover in couplers so the water can't get into the tube.

Step 8: Assembly

Okay after all parts are finished now we raft all, previously at cover back safety Box we make holes for wiring, Pic no.1 , the entire servo cable entry hole sensors, safety box and put hot glue on the sidelines of the cable in the hole so that no gap for incoming water, i forget to put T-sop (IR receiver on the eyes of robot Fish) look pic. no 2-5 for instal the IR receiver.

it's time to assemble it all, previously we make 2 holes with cover shaff servo size either side of the body hole placement ideally like put the fins. and install waterproof servo. ucan use hot glue for to install the servo in place, input also ballast tank and safety box into the body of the robot fish, pairs of pectoral Fins on the servo using a little rod whic same size with hole shaff servo and hole rod fins, so also with the caudal fins. look at the picture for more detail. attach the tail of the fish and be strong with couplers couplers hole on the previous we already prepare, and the last connect the head with the body reinforced with couplers which previously we already prepare the screw hole before.

Now we already have a complete fish robot body. It provides life on a robot fish. We will use the arduino Pro mini because the shape is small and can fit into safety box. In addition you also need promini arduino motor driver for control of ballast tanks, ubex for power protection and 2 cell lipo battery 1000mAh, for controller i using TV romote.I use the tv remote for a while and played in a small pool with clear water or in a large aquarium, and IR can penetrate water so we can still control it.

Step 9: Skin Robo Fish (optional)

You can create a robot fish is similar to such native fish by adding skin but it's an option because it does not use any skin of these fish still swim. To make it you need a thin gauze and also transfer paper for t-shir using printers, select the transfer paper and a printer tintan waterproof. download the fish skin texture on the picture and paste it on a gauze above using iron. look to intruction on the paper transfer pack. create a pattern on the body of the fish cut fabric and connect using stitches. make like you make a doll. i apologize for this step not so detail.

Step 10: Source Code Arduino With IR Libllary

For the moment the fish Robot in control with IR Remote that can still penetrate into clean water. Here you require for uploading the FTDI program to arduino Promini board.

to be able to use the IR receiver on the arduino you need extrac IR libllary, download Arduino-IRremote-master.rar and extrac the RAR to your arduino libllary c/programfiles/arduino/liblaries. and than download the IR_receiver before uploading the program put the IR receiver (t-sop) the right-most pin IR adal data, pin and GND pin middle left is the vcc (the location of the pin could different on the type of t-sop another reply View datasheet to ensure) , connect FTDI with promini and to your computer Upload the Ir_receiver , if done open the serial monitor try to push the any button, if at serial monitor appear numerical values then IR is already working.

Open the ir_command_codes.h , change the value for command with value with the value you get from each key that is pressed. Select the button to forward orders and others fit you want this example, numeric keys 1 to advanced 2, to turn and others.

Last upload the source code Ir_robofish the sourcode in Rar file is just for test, i still work for a complete source code for the best result and i will update soon, thankyou :)

NB : Apologize if this tutorial is not so detail because this is in fact my old project so I don't have a lot of documentation so I replace with the sket and 3d images. and forgive the many errors when in the writing of my English not so good.

Robotics Contest

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Grand Prize in the
Epilog Contest VII

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