Ratchet & PeliCan
PeliCan PeliCan
Hey Ratchet, I’ve been thinking about building a little autonomous sampler that can glide along currents and collect water in those mismatched jars of mine. Got any ideas on how to keep it steady without a GPS?
Ratchet Ratchet
Yeah, let’s ditch the GPS and go full‑sensor mode. Hook an IMU up—accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer—so the little boat can keep track of its own roll, pitch, yaw, and drift. Add a simple water‑speed sensor so it knows when currents are pushing it off course, and a depth probe to stay in that sweet spot. Couple that with a low‑power compass and a tiny doppler radar or acoustic emitter so it can bounce signals off the lake floor and triangulate its position relative to the shore. With a bit of feedback control on the thrusters, it’ll stay steady even without a satellite. If you wanna keep it ultra‑light, just use a small servo‑controlled fins that tweak the balance when the IMU says you’re tilting. That’s a solid start—no GPS required.