03 / Mechanical design · CAD · Fabrication

Remote-Controlled Ball-Collecting Boat

A university team project to design and build a remotely controlled boat that collects floating balls from a 1.2 × 1.2 m water tank.

Technical drawing showing front, side, plan and isometric views of the boat assembly and a parts list. — Team CAD assembly drawing, showing the hulls, bridge and collection mechanism.

My role: Ship builder · Hulls, bridge and assembly
Status: Built and tested prototype
Tools & processes: Fusion 360 · Vacuum forming · Laser cutting · 3 mm MDF
Outcome: 10 balls collected in 25 seconds during pool testing

The challenge

As part of a university engineering project at King’s College London, our team designed and built a remotely controlled boat capable of collecting floating balls.

The main challenges were keeping the boat stable, protecting the electronics from water and making the structure lightweight enough to manoeuvre effectively.

My contribution

I was responsible for building the two hulls and designing, laser-cutting and assembling the bridge connecting them.

I also installed the drivetrain and propellers, fitted and sealed the shaft bearings, and helped test the boat for leaks and stability.

Design and fabrication

A catamaran structure

Two separated hulls provided a stable platform with space for the collection mechanism between them.

Vacuum-formed hulls

I shaped foam blocks using a hot-wire cutter, then vacuum-formed plastic over them to create lightweight, water-resistant shells.

A laser-cut bridge

I designed eight interlocking components in Fusion 360, using 3 mm MDF and finger joints for accurate alignment and straightforward assembly.

Protecting the electronics

The bridge kept the Arduino and batteries elevated. A hinged transparent acrylic cover provided splash protection while allowing access for maintenance.