THE BOOK

INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER VEHICLE DESIGN is an exciting resource that will introduce students, educators, and other aspiring inventors to subsea technology and provide them with the information needed to design and build their own underwater vehicles.  This book will also be an excellent resource for those in the subsea industry who want to encourage bright young minds to consider a career in the world of underwater robotics.

The informative text will be enhanced by hundreds of photos, illustrations and diagrams of underwater vehicles.  In addition, INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER VEHICLE DESIGN will include a timeline of subsea vehicle development, resource appendices, an extensive glossary, and a complete index.

INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER VEHICLE DESIGN is written for advanced high school classes or college and university entry-level courses. Each chapter begins with “Stories From Real Life,” a true scenario that sets the stage for the ocean science, physics, math, electronics, and engineering concepts that follow. The chapters feature step-by-step plans for building SeaMATE, a basic shallow-diving ROV. There’s also a “Going Deeper” section that discusses considerations and modifications for deeper-diving vehicles.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Part 1: Introduction

• Chapter 1: Underwater Vehicles—An Overview
• Chapter 2: The Challenge of Working in Water
• Chapter 3: Design Principles

Part 2: Technical Foundations

• Chapter 4: Vehicle Structure and Materials
• Chapter 5: Pressure Hulls and Canisters
• Chapter 6: Buoyancy, Stability and Ballast
• Chapter 7: Moving and Maneuvering
• Chapter 8: Power Systems
• Chapter 9: Control Systems and Navigation
• Chapter 10: Payloads
• Chapter 11: Operations and Support Systems

Part 3: What’s to Come?

• Chapter 12: The Future of Underwater Vehicles

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

The MATE Center has a great team hard at work on the final version of this first MATE book. Dr. Steve Moore, Associate Professor of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay, has joined Harry Bohm and Vickie Jensen, authors of BUILD YOUR OWN UNDERWATER ROBOT AND OTHER WET PROJECTS and BUILD YOUR OWN PROGRAMMABLE LEGO SUBMERSIBLE. Monterey Peninsula College instructor Frank Barrows and several key industry personnel are providing editorial input.

The years of planning and writing are paying off – this 500-page resource will be an excellent launching pad for students, educators, and individuals eager to take on the challenge of designing and building their own underwater vehicles, as well as a logical “next step” to BUILD YOUR OWN UNDERWATER ROBOT AND OTHER WET PROJECTS. 

Once INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER VEHICLE DESIGN is completed, MATE will begin production of the accompanying instructor’s handbook.

WHEN AND WHERE CAN WE GET IT?

Building an underwater robot is a time-consuming and complex experience—especially if you want to get it right the first time. The same is true for developing a comprehensive resource book like INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER VEHICLE DESIGN. The MATE Center has tested several drafts already and expects that the final version will go to the printer sometime this year.

When this book comes off the press, it will be available through the MATE Center, as well as several other venues. In the meantime, the MATE newsletter continues to provide excellent information, as does the MATE web site’s ROV competition and Summer Institute sections.

If you’re interested in reserving a copy, contact the MATE Center at info@marinetech.org or (831) 645-1393.  MATE will let you know as soon as the publication date has been finalized.

Copyright © 2000 MATE