Underwater Drone
B✓ Links verified Jun 10, 2026
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75 stars on GitHub.
This open-source customisable underwater drone is a 3D-printable submersible robot designed by Guido and Fabio Schillaci at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. Published as an arXiv preprint, the design enables multiple propeller and thruster configurations for varying research and exploration tasks.
Source: https://github.com/guidoschillaci/underwater-drone
The drone is built around the 4" watertight enclosure sold by BlueRobotics, providing a waterproof housing for electronics. Thrusters use brushless motors (see note below on component versions); all 18 structural components are 3D-printable and recommended to be printed with solid infill for watertight structural integrity.
The modular clamp system allows configuring the drone for different mission profiles — forward-facing cameras, lateral thrusters, ballast placement, or instrument mounting. See Print Files for the full list of 18 printable components.
Thruster note: the description references Turnigy Aerodrive DST (DST-700/DST-1200) brushless motors; some BOM links point to the ApisQueen 5060 Waterproof Brushless Underwater Motor instead. Verify which motor you are sourcing before purchase — the two are not the same form factor.
Applications include aquatic research, underwater exploration, coral reef monitoring, and educational robotics. License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0).
Install Notes
This repository contains CAD files and assembly instructions for a 3D-printable submersible — there is no firmware or control software included. The design is intended for custom electronics integration. The orobot Program code is a reference stub only. To build a controllable version, you will need to design or source your own motor controller and connect it via serial or WiFi.
Build Guide
3D models, build instructions, and configuration details: github.com/guidoschillaci/underwater-drone
Printing
This Print All set maps 1:1 to the upstream guidoschillaci/underwater-drone models/ folder — all 18 structural components, no sim meshes or duplicates. Print in PETG (hydrolysis-stable) with solid / near-100% infill for watertight structural integrity.
Quantities (4-thruster configuration)
The drone uses 4 thrusters, so thruster and propeller parts repeat:
| Part | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| thruster_main.stl | 4 | One per thruster |
| thruster_cap.stl | 4 | One per thruster |
| thruster_motor_mount.stl | 4 | One per thruster |
| thruster_dst_2_bluerov_adapter.stl | 4 | Motor-to-housing adapter (one per thruster) |
| propeller.stl | 4 | One per thruster (or use motor-matched commercial props per BOM) |
| clamp_anterior_superior.stl | 1 | Modular clamp |
| clamp_anterior_inferior.stl | 1 | Modular clamp |
| clamp_posterior_superior.stl | 1 | Modular clamp |
| clamp_posterior_inferior.stl | 1 | Modular clamp |
| posterior_clamp_2_tube_connector.stl | 1 | Clamp-to-tube connector |
| rear_clamp_connector.stl | 1 | Rear clamp connector |
| adapter_90.stl | 1+ | Tube adapter |
| adapter_round_male.stl | 1+ | Tube adapter |
| adapter_round_female.stl | 1+ | Tube adapter |
| adapter_split.stl | 1+ | Tube adapter |
| stick.stl | 1+ | Structural rod |
| ballast_cylinder.stl | 1+ | Ballast tube |
| ballast_cap.stl | 1+ | Ballast cap |
Modular by design: the clamp/adapter/ballast system is meant to be reconfigured for different mission profiles (forward camera, lateral thrusters, ballast placement). Print extra adapters, sticks, and ballast cylinders to suit your chosen layout — the counts above are a baseline for a standard 4-thruster build.
Motor note: the upstream design targets Turnigy Aerodrive DST motors (hence thruster_dst_2_bluerov_adapter); if you source the ApisQueen 5060 motor listed in some BOM links, the motor-mount fit differs — verify before printing the thruster mounts.
🖨 Print Files (18)
adapter_90.stl
adapter_round_female.stl
adapter_round_male.stl
adapter_split.stl
ballast_cap.stl
ballast_cylinder.stl
Required Hardware
| Item | Qty | Unit Cost (USD) | Total (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnigy Aerodrive DST-1200 brushless outrunner motor (or DST-700) | 4 | $25 | $100 | Thrusters — HobbyKing |
| 30A brushless ESC (waterproof / coated) | 4 | $20 | $80 | One per thruster — Amazon search |
| BlueRobotics 4" Watertight Enclosure | 1 | $250 | $250 | Main electronics housing — Blue Robotics |
| Pixhawk-class flight controller (or Raspberry Pi + Navio2) | 1 | $200 | $200 | Autopilot / control — Amazon search |
| 4S 5000 mAh LiPo battery (14.8V) | 1 | $60 | $60 | Power — Amazon search |
| Tether — 50m neutrally-buoyant Cat5e | 1 | $80 | $80 | Topside link — Blue Robotics tether |
| Penetrators / cable glands (M10, set of 8) | 1 | $40 | $40 | Sealed cable pass-throughs — Blue Robotics penetrators |
| 10mm stainless steel balls (1 kg) | 1 | $20 | $20 | Ballast — Amazon search |
| BAR30 depth/pressure sensor (or MS5837) | 1 | $80 | $80 | Depth telemetry — Blue Robotics BAR30 |
| MPU-9250 / BNO055 IMU module | 1 | $25 | $25 | Attitude — Amazon search |
| 1080p USB camera (low-light, fisheye) | 1 | $40 | $40 | FPV — Amazon search |
| WL Toys / generic 6-blade propeller (motor-matched) | 4 | $5 | $20 | Or print custom DST-adapted props from repo — Amazon search |
| O-ring assortment (NBR, metric) | 1 | $15 | $15 | Sealing — Amazon search |
| Marine-grade silicone grease (2 oz) | 1 | $10 | $10 | O-ring lubricant — Amazon search |
| 22 AWG silicone hookup wire kit | 1 | $15 | $15 | Amazon search |
| Heat-shrink tubing assortment | 1 | $10 | $10 | Amazon search |
| M3 / M4 stainless steel screw + nyloc nut assortment | 1 | $15 | $15 | Saltwater-resistant fasteners — Amazon search |
| 3D-printer filament (PETG, ~2 kg, hydrolysis-stable) | 2 | $20 | $40 | All printed parts — Amazon search |