Development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for Crack Detection in Canals

The cracks in the canals or dams caused by waterborne particles or some external disturbances lead to canal deterioration and water wastage. For determining the repair of such cracks, periodic inspections of canals are required. For detection of these cracks imaging techniques are popularly used. In this technique there is a need for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The AUV carries a camera for image capturing. This paper aims at developing a PVC material fabricated cost-effective underwater vehicle for reliable crack detection. The system would detect the cracks in the canal up to a depth of 3-5 meters. The integrated system will obtain the image of the concrete surface of canals in the desired position from the camera mounted on the vehicle. The proposed AUV is equipped with 2 thrusters in order to achieve easy maneuverability along with the modular electronics consisting of the controller and the battery module. AUV control is achieved through Radio control where throttle input is given to the receiver from the 6-channel radio transmitter. Neutral stability is achieved with the partial submerged AUV model. In a nutshell, the developed AUV is low weight and economical due to the materials used and radio control makes the model user friendly.