JellyBot: A Soft, Eco-Friendly Deep Ocean Exploration Robot

Inspiration

We wanted to create a new kind of deep-sea exploration robot, one that embraces the ocean, rather than fights it. Inspired by the graceful movements of jellyfish and octopuses, we aimed to design a soft, low-cost, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional rigid underwater vehicles. Current ocean explorers are often massive, expensive, rigid machines that can unintentionally disrupt delicate marine ecosystems. JellyBot represents a vision of exploration that is accessible, adaptive, and gentle to its environment.

What it does

JellyBot is a soft robotic platform designed to explore deep underwater environments while withstanding immense pressures. It adjusts its buoyancy dynamically to move up and down without traditional propulsion systems. JellyBot collects environmental data such as ground texture, water temperature, and particle concentration. A servo-mounted camera allows it to visually survey its surroundings. Acting as a flexible and expandable research platform, JellyBot is designed for modular upgrades, enabling the easy addition of more sensors or specialized tools in future missions.

How we built it

Central Structure: The core is a balloon filled with mineral oil. The oil not only makes JellyBot neutrally buoyant but also protects the internal electronics from deep-sea pressure while remaining safe for marine environments.
Ballast System: Two sand-filled bottles act as adjustable ballast weights. These "legs" give the robot grounding and the ability to dive or stabilize on the seabed when needed.
Sensor Suite:
- Flex Sensor: Mounted on the legs to detect the type of terrain it lands on, such as sand, rocks, or mud, based on impact feedback.
- Water Sensors: A temperature sensor and a particle sensor to monitor surrounding water conditions.
- Orientation Tracking: An MPU6050 IMU provides 3D orientation data.
- Camera System: A wide-angle camera mounted on a servo motor captures images and can look around the environment.
Electronics: An ESP32 microcontroller coordinates all operations, with a specially designed waterproof cabling and tubing system. This allows for USB-UART access without breaching the waterproof seal, enabling programming and data collection even after sealing.
Software: A dedicated desktop app visualizes sensor data in real-time, renders the 3D orientation of the robot, controls the camera movement, and captures or processes environmental photos.
Buoyancy Control: We designed an innovative system that enables passive ballast release (rocks and sand) and the gradual expulsion of a safe, low-density liquid, allowing multiple vertical movements without the need for pumps. Although this system was designed, we did not have enough time during the hackathon to fully implement it in the prototype.

Challenges we ran into

Buoyancy Management: Designing a passive, low-cost buoyancy control mechanism that does not require high-energy systems like pumps.
Waterproofing: Creating durable waterproof seals that allow continuous access to the electronics inside for updates and debugging.
Pressure Resistance: Ensuring that flexible structures could survive deep-sea pressures without leaking, tearing, or deforming.
Cable-Free Control Systems: Engineering magnet-based hall sensor triggers for ballast release and motion detection without needing complex mechanical penetrations into the main body.
Time Constraints: While we developed innovative concepts and partial prototypes, some subsystems such as the buoyancy control were not fully realized within the hackathon timeframe.

Accomplishments that we are proud of

Building a flexible robotic structure capable of resisting underwater pressure using only affordable and eco-safe materials.
Designing a buoyancy control system that is theoretically robust and simple, avoiding the complexities of mechanical pumps.
Creating a complete hardware-software loop, including real-time 3D data visualization and camera control.
Developing a modular, expandable design philosophy, positioning JellyBot not just as a prototype but as a foundation for future deep-sea research.

What we learned

A deep understanding of soft robotics design, fluid dynamics, and underwater physics.
Practical skills in designing pressure-tolerant structures and maintaining waterproofness under extreme conditions.
Lessons in rapid prototyping, material selection, and interdisciplinary integration of mechanics, electronics, and software systems.
First-hand experience with the unique challenges of designing robots that must operate in hostile, dynamic environments with limited energy budgets.

What's next for JellyBot

Prototype Completion: Finalizing and testing the ballast release system, passive motion detection, and improving the robustness of the structure.
Field Testing: Conducting staged underwater trials at controlled and then open water sites to validate endurance, mobility, and data collection capabilities.
Expanded Sensor Integration: Adding environmental sensors such as pH, salinity, and biological detection units.
Open-Source Release: Publishing designs, schematics, and source code to invite contributions from students, makers, and researchers interested in ocean exploration.
Long-Term Vision: Establishing JellyBot as a lightweight, affordable research platform for academic and citizen science initiatives, promoting deeper engagement with ocean conservation and study.