This week (3/2-3/8) our team enjoyed a super fun spring break! Prior to that (2/23-3/1), we focused on finalizing our design details and plan in the design report. Emma set up and tested the motors for the boat, Maddie worked on the image recombination code, and Abie worked on the color sorting algorithm. As a team we are on schedule and do not anticipate any risks going forward.

Part A: (Emma) Our design and product takes into account several global factors. First, coral reefs exist all over the world, and all reefs are equally important to protect. Our technology is not reliant or determined by United States regulations or standards. Our core processor, the Raspberry Pi 4, is certified for use in 55 countries across 6 continents (excluding Antarctica). Additionally, we are aiming to design our boat such that the user never has to take out the Raspberry Pi from its waterproof casing and allow easy access to necessary sections of the Pi, including the power supply and SD card. We also will be making the front end of the application easy to use so that the user does not have to be an expert with Raspberry Pi code to execute the research.

Part B: (Maddie) Our product solution is designed in such a way that doesn’t present many possible issues related to cultural traditions or beliefs. Many regions have developed their own specific knowledge and systems for conservation; our device supports these practices, most notably through having a user-driven navigation system (rather than being autonomous) as well the ability to take photos and notes on demand in the interface enables users to continue monitoring reefs as they choose. The nature of the Reef Rover is primarily as a tool for conservation, meaning that scientists and other operators can use it flexibly. Additionally, because of Reef Rover’s speed, size, and non-invasive design, we’ve worked to minimize the impact that our product could have on fishing and other maritime traditions. Lastly, we do not believe that there are any laws or restrictions that would impede the use of Reef Rover – it is more common for restrictions on human diving or large-scale robotic operations, due to the risk they pose to the delicate reef. Our device is designed to be operable under any set of common restrictions for conservation, making it more accessible legally than other forms of monitoring. 

Part C: (Abie) As a project, Reef Rover was designed with the intention of assisting scientists in monitoring the health of coral reefs across the globe. Our product is primarily suited for shallow water coral on the coastlines, which make up the majority of all coral reefs. Coral reefs also serve as the habitat to approximately a quarter of all marine life, and over half of all shallow water coral have been destroyed as a result of global warming. In their efforts to conserve these vital ecosystems, it is imperative that scientists have access to reliable data, and that they are consistent in the measurements recorded across all coral reefs studied for comparison purposes. Reef Rover eliminates the need for a human diver to survey the area, reducing risks to both the divers and the delicate coral. Earlier renditions of our design featured a crawling device, but in order to maximize the non invasive nature of our robot, we altered the original plan to create a two part boat and submersible that will not make contact with the coral. Additionally, our design records water temperature and pH and uses video captured during transversal of an underwater area to create a comprehensive map of the coral reef system as well as its level of bleaching to a higher degree of accuracy than current satellite imaging. This complete set of data will help scientists to more efficiently study and protect our ocean environment.