We all know that FPV is a lot of fun in the air with quadcopters and fixed wings, but what about from underneath a boat looking below the water? And what if you could immerse yourself in that underwater world and control the camera with your head? That’s what I wanted to find out, so I dusted off my big 3D printed catamaran RC boat (link to files below) and set about adding a head tracking, first person view camera system all housed in a waterproof dome with its own dedicated lighting system.
I used a combination of 3D printing and acrylic to build the dome housing and LED lights to light things up (link to files below). Everything was waterproofed using a combination of hot glue, silicone sealant and polyester resin. The 3 axis pan and tilt mechanism is a cheap off the shelf unit that uses micro servos that provides about 180 degrees of rotation. An analogue FPV camera is used to provide the live video feed back to goggles and an Insta360 Go 2 provides the HD video recording. These are both mounted on a custom 3D printed mount that attaches to the pan and tilt mechanism (link to files below). Head tracking is done via an Arduino Nano BLE 33 running dlktdr’s HeadTracker firmware (link below) housed in a small 3D printed case (link to files below). This is all wired in to a radio control receiver and transmitter – I ran out of channels on the boat, so there are now two dedicated radio systems to control the boat and operate the FPV. Needless to say, it’s getting a little bit complicated to film all the action at the same time solo!
Small parts were printed on a Creality Ender 3 Pro using 3D Fillies PLA+ filament with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer height. Large parts were printed on a Creality CR-10 in 3D Fillies PLA+ filament with a 0.6 mm nozzle and 0.36 mm layer height. Specific print settings are listed in the model links below. CAD design was done in Fusion 360. Shot on Canon EOS M50, Insta360 One R, Insta360 Go 2 and DJI Mini.
HeadTracker Firmware by dlktdr:
https://github.com/dlktdr/HeadTracker
@cliffblack569
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Electrosync Designs Featured in this Video are Available at Thangs.com:
Big 3D Printed RC Catamaran:
https://thangs.com/electrosync/3D-Printed-RC-Catamaran-Utility-Boat-44098?manualModelView=true
Dome Housing for Underwater Pan and Tilt Camera:
https://thangs.com/electrosync/Dome-Housing-for-Underwater-Pan-and-Tilt-Camera--44080?manualModelView=true
FPV and Insta360 Go 2 Dual Cam Mount and Blackout Covers for Pan and Tilt: https://thangs.com/electrosync/FPV-and-Insta360-Go-2-Dual-Cam-Mount-and-Blackout-Covers-for-Pan-and-Tilt--44092?manualModelView=true
FPV Head Tracker Case for Arduino Nano BLE 33:
https://thangs.com/electrosync/FPV-Head-Tracker-Case-for-Arduino-Nano-BLE-33--44091?manualModelView=true
Key Parts Used in This Build:
FPV Nylon Pan & Tilt Kit:
https://core-electronics.com.au/fpv-nylon-pan-tilt-kit-without-servo.html
Arduino Nano BLE 33:
https://core-electronics.com.au/arduino-nano-33-ble.html
Foxeer Mini Predator 5 Racing FPV Camera 4ms Latency Super WDR: https://www.foxeer.com/foxeer-mini-predator-5-racing-fpv-camera-4ms-latency-super-wdr-g-306
Insta360 Go 2:
https://www.insta360.com/product/insta360-go2/
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Website: www.electrosync.com.au
Contact: email address is in the about tab
*Time Stamps:*
0:00 Intro
0:22 Why a Dome?
1:14 Building the Dome
2:02 Lighting System
2:48 Pan & Tilt and Head Tracking
3:53 Wiring and Control Box
4:38 Test Run
5:12 Field Test 1
6:41 Field Test 2
9:00 What Did I Learn?
*Watch Next:*
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https://youtu.be/OGonTb9sQrQ
3D Printing a Seat Belt Buckle
https://youtu.be/I1K7Dqjdyv8
Make Your Own 3D Printed Snap Close Connector
https://youtu.be/5h5bShThIvw
RC Minecraft Boat - 3D Printed and Radio Controlled
https://youtu.be/O1SIfNdOJJc
#Underwater #FPV #RC