647 Copyright © 2014, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 33 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4607-0.ch033 A Mechatronic Description of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Dam Inspection ABSTRACT Driven by the rising demand for underwater operations concerning dam structure monitoring, Hydropower Plant (HPP), reservoir, and lake ecosystem inspection, and mining and oil exploration, underwater robotics applications are increasing rapidly. The increase in exploration, prospecting, monitoring, and security in lakes, rivers, and the sea in commercial applications has led large companies and research centers to invest underwater vehicle development. The purpose of this work is to present the design of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), focusing efforts on dimensioning structural elements and machinery and elaborating the sensory part, which includes navigation sensors and environmental conditions sensors. The integration of these sensors in an intelligent platform provides a satisfactory control of the vehicle, allowing the movement of the submarine on the three spatial axes. Because of the satisfactory fast response of the sensors, one can determine the acceleration and inclination as well as Ítalo Jáder Loiola Batista Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Antonio Themoteo Varela Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Edicarla Pereira Andrade Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil José Victor Cavalcante Azevedo Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Tiago Lessa Garcia Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Daniel Henrique da Silva Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Epitácio Kleber Franco Neto Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil Auzuir Ripardo Alexandria Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil André Luiz Carneiro Araújo Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Brazil