Development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for Crack Detection in Canals Megha Karanje 1 , Kalyani Mahajan 2 , Indraja Patil 3 , Shruthi Shukla 4 , Dr. Swati Madhe 5 and Dr. Vaishali Upadhye 6 1-6 Instrumentation and Control - MKSSS’s Cummins College of Engineering For Women Pune, India Email: megha.karanje@cumminscollege.in, {kalyani.a.mahajan, indraja.patil, shruthi.shukla, swati.madhe, vaishali.upadhye}@cumminscollege.in Abstract—The cracks in the canals or dams caused by waterborne particles or some external disturbances lead to canal deterioration and water wastage. For determining the repair of such cracks, periodic inspections of canals are required. For detection of these cracks imaging techniques are popularly used. In this technique there is a need for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The AUV carries a camera for image capturing. This paper aims at developing a PVC material fabricated cost-effective underwater vehicle for reliable crack detection. The system would detect the cracks in the canal up to a depth of 3-5 meters. The integrated system will obtain the image of the concrete surface of canals in the desired position from the camera mounted on the vehicle. The proposed AUV is equipped with 2 thrusters in order to achieve easy maneuverability along with the modular electronics consisting of the controller and the battery module. AUV control is achieved through Radio control where throttle input is given to the receiver from the 6-channel radio transmitter. Neutral stability is achieved with the partial submerged AUV model. In a nutshell, the developed AUV is low weight and economical due to the materials used and radio control makes the model user friendly. Index Terms— Dams, Cracks, Seepage, Inspection, AUV, Image capturing. I. INTRODUCTION Civil infrastructure systems represent a significant fraction of global assets, and due to many factors, cracks will appear on the surface of these structures. These cracks not only affect the visual appearance of the structures but also lead to steel corrosion, which accelerates concrete aging affecting the normal use of these structures and leading to underuse of the infrastructure and a shorter life span. Canals are an integral part of the dam water distribution system. Canals are built for a variety of uses including irrigation, urban water supply, hydroelectric power generation etc. Waterproof linings keep a canal's water from seeping into the ground. The Canals are built using a mixture of sand, clay, and water that dried to a waterproof state and Modern materials and additives that are more durable include concrete, fly ash. Since the flow of water through this open channel is huge, the pressure of water on the walls is high. Also, the canal walls are subjected to erosion. Due to these cracks are developed in canal walls. Due to these cracks, there is a water seepage, and thus the canal walls get deteriorated. Underwater environments are complex, cracks are quite random and diverse in nature. Marine life in the water bodies, atmospheric temperature, heavy rainfall, and local bodies can contribute Grenze ID: 01.GIJET.9.1.712 © Grenze Scientific Society, 2023 Grenze International Journal of Engineering and Technology, Jan Issue