My ProjectHave you ever seen the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay? Maybe you have a good idea of what the bottom looks like close to shore, but once you go in waters more than a few feet deep it’s a mystery. Our knowledge of what’s in the depths of the bay is somewhat… surface level.
For my Fellows project I wanted to find something to solve this problem and merge my love of Robotics and the Ocean. Fortunately, I found the perfect location and method to investigate this issue. A short way up the Potomac River, the Mallows Bay Ocean Sanctuary was recently inaugurated in 2021. It is home to dozens of shipwrecks, yet minimal research has been done on the site. The age of these ships ranges from the 1900s to the 1970s. But there’s just one issue. Besides a few of the wrecks, the majority are submerged under water. What if there was a way to see the history of Mallows Bay beyond the murky water? What I aim to accomplish is to create a virtual seafloor using sonar imaging. I will use GPS positioning to control an autonomous surface vessel to complete its mission without supervision. Using the sonar and GPS positioning it will systematically comb over the entire site, uncovering new information and increasing our understanding of the Bay's history. |
About Me
My name is William Toomey, and I am a member of the class of 2023. Starting from from a young age, I have always been interested in Robotics and all things mechanical. It didn't didn't matter if it was Legos or Lincoln Logs. If I could build something with it, I was interested.
My journey with robotics began with Lego Mindstorms. I would play with them daily, and after I finished the sets with instructions, I sought to experiment. I would try making really fast cars using gears, or things that walked rather than use wheels. Mindstorms was incredibly formative and taught me the foundations of what works, and what doesn't. Eventually I upgraded to Arduino which opened up infinite possibilities with what I could do. I had to learn how to code, as well as design and fabricate my own parts using CAD. I have made many things using Arduino, from a simple line-following bot to a quadcopter.
The next step for me is to dive head first into fields I have never set foot in. Autonomous control, sonar, and worst of all... Fluid Dynamics. As difficult as I anticipate this project is going to be, I am eager to see what I can accomplish with a little bit of pressure and a deadline.
My journey with robotics began with Lego Mindstorms. I would play with them daily, and after I finished the sets with instructions, I sought to experiment. I would try making really fast cars using gears, or things that walked rather than use wheels. Mindstorms was incredibly formative and taught me the foundations of what works, and what doesn't. Eventually I upgraded to Arduino which opened up infinite possibilities with what I could do. I had to learn how to code, as well as design and fabricate my own parts using CAD. I have made many things using Arduino, from a simple line-following bot to a quadcopter.
The next step for me is to dive head first into fields I have never set foot in. Autonomous control, sonar, and worst of all... Fluid Dynamics. As difficult as I anticipate this project is going to be, I am eager to see what I can accomplish with a little bit of pressure and a deadline.