Crystal Clear is an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) designed, constructed, and operated by the Marine Robotics Group at Georgia Tech.
Following RoboBoat 2019, MRG began a RoboBoat design process for the next year’s competition. Design considerations included the ability to fit the vehicle into the trunk of a sedan in order to improve ease of testing. This resulted in a new design of a length of 4’, a reduction from previous years.
Pontoons were designed in Solidworks with the use of CFD analysis with the goal of reducing drag.
The propulsion is configured with an H-drive holonomic configuration to allow for translation in 2 dimensions as well as rotation. An X-drive was originally planned but scrapped due to issues regarding loss of thrust with a similar configuration at RobotX 2022.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction of the vehicle was halted in March 2020, with only the pontoon foam cores having been milled.
Construction did not resume until spring of 2023 following the formation of a new RoboBoat team. The vehicle was constructed within 3 months.
Sean working while everyone watches (2023).
| Name | Crystal Clear |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Clear Plexiglass Deck |
| Laid down | Spring 2020 |
| Launched | Spring 2023 |
| Years Active | 2023-Present |
| Status | Active |
| Hull Type | Pontoon Boat |
|---|---|
| Length | 4’ |
| Beam | 3’ |
| Height | 2’6” |
| Propulsion | 6x T200 Thrusters |
Georgia Tech took home 3rd place with Crystal Clear in 2023.