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The Prototype
The system consists of three separate systems, the cleat clamp system, the slider and the robot head
Cleat Clamps and Cabling System: what attaches the system to the boat, and holds and guides the rest of the system around the boat
The Slider: What moves the head of the robot across and down the side of the boat. This moves in steps down the rope and at each step, it lowers the robot head down and raises it back up the side of the boat
The Robot: What sticks to the side of the boat, cleans it and catches all of the removed biofouling. The rotary brush removes all of the biofouling and the vacuum sucks it up to avoid foreign species contamination. The biofouling is collected on board to be disposed of properly. This uses the force from the thrusters and the negative force adhesion from the pump to stick to the side of the boat. The thruster is controlled by an electronic speed controller (ESC) that works with an automated variable resistor to increase adhesion where it is needed.
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