The Lab Builds A Boat

This week, after much preparation, the lab put together and started testing our BlueBoat. The BlueBoat is an uncrewed surface vessel, that measures approximately 94 cm x 120 cm or 37 in x 47 in and weighs approximately 14.5 kg or 32 pounds. Users operate the BlueBoat with a remote control and can add additional hardware to the boat, including sonar, temperature and depth sensors, and more, all for the purpose of collecting real-time or near real-time hydrographic and water quality data. Kim and I got to see the BlueBoat in action when we supported a teacher professional development workshop in Louisiana, where a lab at LSU outfitted their BlueBoat with water quality sensors that inspired our own purchase and future build. After we finish testing the boat without any additional attachments, we will be sending it to a colleague in the marine science and engineering division so that he and his lab can create add-ons to support our two water quality sensors. These two sensors will allow us to deploy the boat and collect water temperature, conductivity/salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, and nitrate data as we pilot the boat through the waters of the Mississippi Sound and its rivers.

Today, Hannah-the lab's new graduate student-and I finished running all the electronics checks after constructing the boat on Tuesday. The electronics checks involved a lot of troubleshooting, as one step involved calibrating the internal compass system and rotating the boat on different axes. Any passersby would have seen us moving the boat up and down and rocking as if it was facing heavy wave action. We also tested the propellers and motors, realized that we had initially screwed in the wrong section of the propellers, and attached and configured the wireless controller. Not bad for a day in the lab.

Next week we will be taking the boat for in-water testing at the lab, using the docks at the Marine Education Center. This test will help us evaluate how easy the boat is to pilot, whether the electronics cooperate when we are not in the lab, and give us some insight into what transporting the boat to and from the field will require. I can't wait to update you next week after we test this amazing equipment out.

​Stay tuned!

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