aQuatonomous
RoboBoat 2026

Overview

aQuatonomous is Queen's University's student-run autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) team, competing in the annual RoboBoat challenge hosted by RoboNation. As Mechanical Team Lead, I own the full mechanical lifecycle — from concept and CAD through fabrication and on-water testing.

The vehicle must autonomously navigate a course of tasks including docking, path following, and object avoidance, requiring a hull that is both hydrodynamically efficient and structurally rigid enough to house sensitive electronics and propulsion hardware.

Hull Design & Fabrication

The hulls were designed parametrically in SolidWorks, optimized for low drag and stability at competition speeds. Rather than machining traditional foam plugs, I developed a process using FDM-printed mold segments that bolt together into a full-scale mold surface.

• Segmented FDM mold strategy to stay within bed size limits while maintaining dimensional accuracy
• Wet fiberglass layup over printed molds — multiple plies of woven cloth for stiffness-to-weight ratio
• Post-cure surface finishing, gelcoat, and hardware mounting inserts
• Full waterproof electronics bay with gasketed access panels

Structural Integration

A custom aluminum crossbeam connects the two hulls, providing a mounting platform for the electronics enclosure, sensor mast, and propulsion pods. Every joint was designed to be disassembled for transport and reassembled in under 20 minutes.

• Modular crossbeam with indexed mounting positions for payload flexibility
• Vibration-isolated electronics tray to protect IMU and compute hardware
• Cable management channels routed through hull walls to protect wiring from water ingress

Team Leadership

Beyond hands-on fabrication, the role involves coordinating a team of mechanical sub-leads, managing the build schedule, and liaising with electrical and software teams to ensure mechanical interfaces are defined and frozen before integration sprints.

Build Photos