⚙️Mechanical
The mechanical team is responsible for creating a buoyant and stable ASV hull, and designing the propulsion system. The hull must comply with Roboboat competition rules: no more than six feet in length, four feet in width, and no heavier than 75 lbs. They also ensure that all components used by other teams are waterproof, ready for in-water testing.
Additionally, they design a simple transport cart for the hull, often in a quick hackathon session of just three hours!
⚡Electrical
The electrical team focuses on designing an efficient sensor suite while minimizing costs, integrating the payload computer with onboard sensors, and implementing a robust e-stop safety system with both physical and remote access.
They also collaborate with the mechanical team to ensure smooth motor control for propulsion.
🧠Autonomy and Perception
The perception and autonomy teams work closely to enable intelligent navigation. Perception handles mapping, localization, and obstacle detection using a custom sensor suite, built in collaboration with the electrical team.
Since no map is provided at Roboboat, the ASV must generate its own in real time. This data feeds into the autonomy team's algorithms for path and behavior planning. Starting with methods like A*, PID control, and rule-based logic, the system is designed to evolve toward more adaptive, robust decision-making over time.
🔗Systems Integration
The Systems Integration team ensures seamless communication between software, hardware, and onboard systems, acting as the connective tissue of the ASV. This team configures and maintains ROS-based infrastructure, telemetry systems, and firmware like MAVROS and Pixhawk, enabling real-time coordination between perception, autonomy, and actuation.
This team is critical to reliable field performance and iterative testing, especially as the platform scales in complexity.
💼Business
The Business team drives the sustainability and visibility of aQuatonomous through sponsorship outreach, budget planning, and strategic communication. From crafting compelling grant applications like those for the Sustainable Action Fund to organizing public engagement initiatives, this team ensures the project's long-term impact and community alignment.
The business team ultimately supports both the team's technical ambitions and its environmental mission.
🪸Ecological Sciences and Water Research
The Ecological Sciences and Water Research team anchors the project in environmental relevance by designing research questions and collecting meaningful aquatic data.
Leveraging the ASV’s sensor payload, they investigate topics such as pollution, water quality, and ecological patterns in Lake Ontario. Their insights guide sensor selection, field deployment, and reinforce the team’s commitment to sustainability-driven innovation.
