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This aquabot is the same as a Cartesian diver. It floats on the surface and charges then dives straight down when it fires. It uses the usual 1381-J, 1F gold cap, Walkman motor combo. It has a very strong dive zooming to the bottom of my test aquarium very quickly. It lands there for a few seconds while  the prop holds it down, when the prop stops, it gently floats back to the surface. The addition of a cowling around the prop really makes a difference in thrust force. The floats are made of hard plastic and are much better than the styrofoam variety. The bot is completely sealed as are my other early prototypes. This forms a good, water tight seal, but repairs are impossible without major surgery. The electronics were thoroughly tested, and the only moving part is the motor. Future designs will incorporate a modular motor pod that can be removed and replaced.




This is what happens when you start discussing repairs on a perfectly functioning bot. Diver Down required major repairs due to a leaky capacitor. I've never seen a gold cap leak it's electrolyte before, and believe me, it's some smelly stuff. In order to repair the little guy, I had to cut the solar cell off of the top. Not as hard as I thought. I had expected water intrusion into the motor as the cause of failure, but the unmistakeable smell and the light frost on the electronics told the obvious tale of a leaky cap. Since I had the bot apart anyway, I decided on a major overhaul. I replaced the small solar cell with a larger one, making the bot much more active. Although I liked the way they looked, I removed the legs and center ring because they are made of metal. Not only did weight need to be reduced, but over the course of a few weeks, most metals rust underwater. The outer structure of this bot is entirely made of plastic. It performs even better now, and I like the pod look of the thing.


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