Innovative Features - Mechanical
Our team designed a magnetic kill switch which disconnects the thrusters by cutting off the power from the ESCs when a diver pulls an external safety magnet. The design consists of three main components: an external magnet attached to a float for easy access, a custom printed circuit board (PCB) housing magnetic reed switches and connectors, and another custom PCB to control the motor signals. This design allows the AUV's control electronics to remain powered while disabling the thrusters, minimizing data corruption and enabling quick data extraction and subsequent runs.