Part of phase 1 will be defining the design of the ROV. Currently, we are planning are 4 thrusters. Two of the thrusters will be located on each side of the chassis. One will be pointing upward to control ascent/descent, and one will be pointing backward to control forward motion. The two thrusters that are pointing backward will also control turning. We will need 4 separate motor controllers for this design. This may seem a little excessive, but for the level of control that I think we need, I think this is appropriate.

The design will involve a main tube to house the electronics and web cam, and two outriggers to mount the motors, and maybe lights, or anything else that may be needed.

Yesterdays brainstorming did come up with a decision though. The thought was that we would include an emergency ascent module if the ROV came disconnected from the surface computer. This is a neat idea, but the original plan was not to include a battery on board, simply to save space and weight. This had to be scratched, since if the ROV is to ascend on its own, it will need a battery on board. So, we have decided it will need its own power source.