Shedd Sensor
A water tight sensor that measures the speed and direction of under sea currents
Winter 2021- Spring 2021
Background and Problem
Shedd Aquarium is researching the movement of sea life on the ocean floor. To do so, the researchers need to collect the ocean current's speed and direction from multiple locations. However, ocean current sensors on the market are $40,000+. The researchers need a cost effective sensor that can read both current speed and direction.
Requirements
Be able to:
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Measure the speed and direction of the water currents
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Collect data 20 feet below the the surface of the Yellow Banks, Bahamas
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Collect data every 15 min
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Withstand long-term deployment
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Be easily replicable for researchers to create multiple of
Solution
The solution was to create a buoyant sensor that uses the angle of tilt created from the current's force to calculate the the speed and direction.
Final Product
To launch and retrieve the data from the sensor, the researchers would follow the following process.
I designed the tilt mechanism of the sensor after brainstorming multiple design possibilities. I also wrote the equations used to determine the direction and speed based on the tilt of the device. The datalogging and electronics was inspired by the Cave Pearl Project. I soldered and repackaged those components to fit in a waterproof casing that I also designed. Additionally, I managed the testing data to calibrate the sensor.
My Contributions
Design and Manufacturing Process
The electronic design of the device including the microchips, communication ports, sensing instruments
Testing the sensor by pulling it across the pool
To learn more about this project, read here.