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Completed ProjectENGG 200 design project

Waterborne Rescue Vessel

Fusion 3603D PrintingRaspberry Pi PicoBluetoothServo actuationSolderingPython

Objective

For ENGG 200, we built a remote-controlled twin-hull rescue vessel that had to carry payload, stay upright in water, keep electronics dry, and weave through obstacles in a test pool. Every revision came back to the same question: will this still float, seal, and steer after we print it?

Completed twin-hull prototype with Bluetooth controller on the desk
Top-down view of the completed prototype with dual propellers and controller
V4 prototype in the test pool, rear propellers, deck electronics, and obstacle navigation

Development Timeline

Four major iterations from concept sketch to pool-validated prototype.

Hand-drawn Power Catamaran concept sketch with dimension notes
CAD layout showing twin hull dimensions and payload area
V1

Concept & Layout

Established twin-hull geometry, payload zone, and motor pod placement in Fusion 360 before committing filament to a first print.

What changed

  • Twin-hull catamaran layout with defined payload deck
  • Motor pod and electronics compartment planning
  • Electrical routing concept and wire tunnel paths

What improved

  • Clear design direction and rescue-vessel proportions
  • Compartment sizing resolved before physical build

Issues & fixes

  • No physical validation, buoyancy assumptions untested
  • Print volume limits not yet stress-tested on real geometry

Design & Planning

Early CAD and planning before committing to prints.

Early layouts defined hull geometry, waterproof compartments, payload space, and propulsion placement before committing to prints.

Sketches

Hand-drawn early concept sketch of the twin-hull vessel
Annotated CAD plan for sealed electronics and motor compartments
CAD model of propeller variants for thrust testing
  • Initial concept sketch, twin hulls, deck space, proportions
  • Sealed electronics and motor pod compartment plan
  • Propeller geometry compared before printing variants

CAD Developments

Fusion 360 render of the twin-hull vessel with roof and propulsion detail
CAD render of the vessel with roof and payload pocket
Top-down CAD view of the completed vessel layout
Close-up CAD of propulsion assembly
V7 CAD three-view of final hull with roof, payload pocket, and propulsion

Build Process

From printed parts to wired, assembled prototype.

From printed parts through wiring, propulsion tuning, and team assembly in the makerspace.

Makerspace Assembly

Team assembling printed hull sections in the makerspace
Handheld prototype with roof, switch, and propulsion checked in the makerspace
Team wiring electronics and testing Bluetooth controller at the workbench
  • Fitting printed hull sections and checking assembly as a team
  • Hull components and clearances checked in the makerspace
  • Controller, laptop, and hull wiring set up at the workbench

Propulsion & Electronics

Three 3D-printed propeller prototypes on a workbench
3D-printed geared propulsion assembly with twin propellers on a gold chassis
Motors, motor driver, and battery wired on a 3D-printed hull base
Handheld prototype with motors running and propellers spinning on the bench
  • Propeller variants compared on the bench before thrust selection
  • Geared drive, printed gears and propellers mounted on the hull frame
  • Motors, driver board, and battery routing on the printed base
  • Bench propulsion check with motors and propellers running

Testing & Validation

Pool validation and iteration feedback loops.

Each revision tested buoyancy, waterproofing, thrust, and internal volume. Failures from one version directly drove the next CAD pass.

  • Controlled buoyancy test before full electronics validation
  • Waterproofing checks at hull-roof seam under splash conditions
  • In-pool obstacle course for steering, thrust, and stability
Finished vessel navigating around obstacles in a test pool
Final pool run, stable twin-hull flotation and working propulsion through an obstacle layout.
Team lowering the vessel into a pool for buoyancy testing
Buoyancy test in a controlled pool setup.
Vessel navigating around obstacles during pool testing
Obstacle navigation run during final pool validation.
Custom Raspberry Pi Bluetooth controller for remote maneuvering
Custom-made Raspberry Pi Bluetooth controller for remote maneuvering.
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