SeaPerch ROV Construction Manual –Version 2010-02
Added Supplement for Construction Options and Enhancements
Occasional challenges in obtaining recommended components, special technical
requirements, and local budget constraints have inspired creativity and
resourcefulness amongSeaPerch program implementers, many of whom have
found it useful or necessary to identify alternatives for various aspects of their
ROVs’ construction. In order to provide such needed flexibility while still
maintaining a standardized set of assembly instructions that can be fielded
nationwide, the manual’s format has been updated to enable easy substitution of
proven and approved procedures to implement construction "options," in place of
corresponding standard procedures, and addition of new procedures for
construction “enhancements” to add capabilities to the ROV. These optional and
enhancement proceduresare contained in a separate document, “SeaPerch ROV
Construction Manual Supplement –Options and Enhancements –Version
2010-02,” which maybe downloaded from the *SeaPerch website. It contains a
number of alternate and added procedures that have been found to be useful to
improve ROV performance, simplify the build process, and/or lower costs.
The supplement's construction options result in relatively minor changes to the
SeaPerch ROV, such as implementing different propellermounting techniques,
alternate flotation, or a different type of switch. Itsconstruction enhancements add
capabilities beyond those of the standard SeaPerch vehicle. Examples are
addition of a stiffener for the bottom payload net, a payload capture net, ora front
accessory attachment fixture. The added procedures for installing the construction
enhancements may involve changes to the standard vehicle build instructions, so
some will also provide substitute manual pages in addition to the page orpages
with the added procedures for installing the enhancements. Some enhancements
are also grouped together with options due to the nature of the improvements.
Each option orenhancement section in the supplement includes specific
instructions for substituting the changed pages into the construction manual prior
to reproduction for student use, to provide a technically consistent manual for use
in the classroom. The supplement's added or replacement pages are designed
for use only with this version of the manual, not previous or later versions. Users
of the supplement should always verify that its version number matches that of the
construction manual before inserting any of its procedures into the manual.
More options and enhancements will likely be developed from time to time as
clever students and theirteachers continue to invent and demonstrate newways
to build SeaPerch ROVs. Byusingthe supplement approach and the newpage
numbering scheme, future new procedures can easily be added to the supplement
document and then to individual classroom manuals when needed, without
impacting the content of the standard build manual.
Future new procedures will need to go through a short demonstration and
approval process before being added to the mastermanual supplement document
that is maintained at the *SeaPerch website for downloading as needed.
* SeaPerchWebsite: www.seaperch.org
