What we did this week:
- Completed layout and part selection of interface PCB, designing for high speed signals
- Completed the simulation, design, and layout of the two illumination PCBs.
Part A(Claire): Our ToF imaging system addresses a global need for accessible, reliable, and cost effective 3D sensing in aquatic environments. Existing technologies like sonar and lidar are often expensive, bulky, and energy-intensive, limiting their use to large institutions or well-funded operations. By leveraging visible light illumination, custom PCB design, and commercially available components, our end goal product offers a compact and affordable solution suitable for research, environmental monitoring, and underwater robotics worldwide. This enables broader implementations in underwater exploration and supports global efforts in marine conservation, environmental data collection, and structural and technological accessibility beyond academic or high resource settings.
Part B: Not applicable. Our ToF sensor is a component of a larger system (AUV). As such, it does not address any cultural need.
Part C (Gleb): In general, the ToF sensor doesn’t address a specific environmental need, but the robotic system on which it is mounted might. With that, the ToF can conceivably impact some marine organisms in its immediate vicinity due to light emission. However, we are also hopeful that the ToF will replace sonars in some applications. Sonars are known to have a significant impact on marine life at large distances.