Tri-Boat (By Rahav C.)

thingiverse

Update #2: I've finally integrated the RC controller and a battery pack into the Tri-Boat, putting it through its first test. To assemble the boat, I made some key changes. I designed and printed new propellers that are easier to print and perform better. If you choose to use these propellers, there's no need for support; it's already included in the model. Additionally, I replaced the propeller shaft with a piece of a radio antenna and used a small section of a larger diameter tube from the same antenna as a sleeve to reduce friction on the shaft. Check out my latest video at https://youtu.be/fMYB55ncFWA. Update #1: Due to the limited load capacity of the original design, I've decided to increase the floating volume of the three boats. To achieve this, I reduced the wall thickness back to 1mm but added internal walls to make it printable. I also increased the boat's volume by enlarging it, as you can see in the pictures and videos. The load capacity has increased by 37%. For the previous design, each boat could hold 92.9 grams, while now they can hold 127.8 grams. Check out my latest updates at https://youtu.be/ZxD0kDUqUvI and https://youtu.be/6GZJIJ6EhmY. Original text: Hi, I designed this boat to test whether it's possible to reduce water friction while improving stability. I started by designing the same boat for all three locations, but one of them is a mirror image. Initially, I made the wall thickness too thin (1mm), so it couldn't be printed well. Then, I tried making it thicker but not too much, so it wouldn't be too heavy. I ended up with 1.5mm thickness, which resulted in a boat weighing 19.2 grams and having a floating ability of 82 grams (calculated based on volume and water density). Next, I designed the bridges and tried to minimize weight as much as possible. The blue parts were printed using MakerBot 2's PLA, while the red parts were printed with Ecksbot's ABS. The boat turns by rotating the front boat around its vertical axis using a servo motor, while the rear boats are propelled by two motors. The total weight of the boat, including the servo motor, two motors, and structural parts, is 192 grams. As seen in the video files, the friction with water is very low, and the boat can reach high speeds. Check out my videos at https://youtu.be/3DEQ8IyanvM and https://youtu.be/J_eyrU2FmGk.