LoCO AUV

Based on published sources · Not tested by us · Sources checked 2026-10-01

Overview

Research autonomous underwater vehicle with Pixhawk, Raspberry Pi and Jetson TX2; this review selects the documented LoCO 1.0 configuration and separates later internal structure alternatives. [S006] [S008] [S010]

LoCO's configuration repository and separately preserved wiki document a research underwater vehicle. This entry selects the LoCO 1.0 route with Raspberry Pi 4, Pixhawk and Jetson TX2 on an Orbitty carrier. The wiki identifies itself as LoCO 1.0 documentation, but also includes alternative internal structures. Those alternatives need deliberate selection before purchasing or printing parts. [S006] [S008] [S010]

Official website · Source code

Specifications

Detail	Description
Type	Underwater research vehicle with paired enclosure tubes and a three-thruster SimpleROV-3 control configuration. Reported by source [S008] [S011] · Checked 2026-10-01
Intended users	Research teams able to fabricate, seal, ballast and maintain an underwater vehicle Editorial assessment [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01
Assembly	Selected LoCO 1.0 route combines laser-cut internal bases with printed mounts; wiki also documents an all-printed alternative with different fasteners and old-style 4-inch flange interface. Reported by source [S008] [S009] · Checked 2026-10-01
Calibration	Not known
Operating system	Ubuntu 18.04 on the documented Raspberry Pi networking route Historical documented configuration, not current installation validation. Reported by source [S012] · Checked 2026-10-01
Computer needed	Raspberry Pi 4 and Jetson TX2 on an Orbitty carrier, plus an external operational command computer. Reported by source [S010] [S012] · Checked 2026-10-01

3D preview

Preview not available yet. A model has not yet been prepared and approved for display on this page. This does not mean the project lacks CAD files; see Source files and licenses for the reviewed source availability.

Assembly and use

File units and internal structures need matching

The model archive contains SolidWorks parts and assemblies, printable STL files and laser-cut drawings. Its directory labels explicitly distinguish DXF files in inches, shell STL in meters and other STL files in millimeters. A file opening successfully in a fabrication tool does not establish that its scale is correct. No CAD dimensions or manufactured parts were validated here. [S017]

The original internal structure uses laser-cut bases and printed mounts. The wiki's alternative uses printed sections for the computers, batteries and HREye electronics, with M3 screws and heatset inserts. It specifically describes the computer section as interfacing with the old-style Blue Robotics 4-inch flange. That is a compatibility boundary, not a promise that every current enclosure fits. [S008]

The fabrication guide discusses print orientation, warping and drilling holes to final size. A later design note reports that small differences in battery dimensions can make the electronics difficult to slide into the tubes. The parts list alone cannot resolve those fit questions. [S009] [S014]

The computers, network and autopilot are separate integrations

The selected arrangement mounts the Pixhawk above the Raspberry Pi and places the Jetson TX2 on an Orbitty carrier. The Pixhawk guide calls for ArduSub and the SimpleROV-3 frame configuration, with sensor calibration and motor-direction checks. Its instruction to use the latest firmware is not an immutable version pin; this review did not flash or qualify a firmware release. [S010] [S011]

The network guide connects the Pi and TX2 internally and routes an external command computer through the Pi. It calls for connectivity checks before installation inside the enclosures. It also contains a subnet-description inconsistency: the prose repeats the external subnet name for the internal network, while the listed addresses distinguish them. Treat the saved configurations and actual network design as items to reconcile, not commands to copy without inspection. [S012]

The TX2 package list includes separate repositories for launch files, robot description, menus, target detection and a diver-following CNN. Preserving loco_config does not preserve all of those packages, their revisions or model weights. No complete current software environment or delivered build budget was established. [S013]

Research capabilities have documented limits

The LoCO 1.0 capability page reports unsynchronized cameras, an immature software stack and an autopilot based on estimated velocities. It also reports water uptake in external printed parts that can change ballast over time. These are upstream limitations for the selected documentation, not claims that every later implementation has the same behavior. [S007]

The deployment guide covers ballast, seals, connectivity and bench checks; this review did not perform them or validate a depth rating. The project explicitly says it cannot guarantee help or provide commercial-level support. Hardware reproduction, underwater qualification and a support commitment therefore remain separate from source availability. [S006] [S016]

Project code uses GPLv3, with a later-version option in the wiki notice, while design documentation uses CC BY-SA 4.0. Purchased components and external software retain their own rights. No printing, assembly, installation, leak test or underwater trial was performed. [S001] [S003] [S005] [S015]

Cost

No current, complete configuration-specific build cost has been established for this profile.

Source files and licenses

Available project sources support research coverage; complete build and commercial qualification remain separate.

Layer	Availability / license
mechanical design	available · CC-BY-SA-4.0 Project design grant; purchased-component CAD and rights require their own review. Unit labels and alternative internal structures must be reconciled. [S001] [S005] [S008] [S017]
electronics	not found · License not fully assessed Component integration described, but complete matching board manufacturing or firmware payload not established in this review. [S010] [S011] [S017]
firmware	not found · License not fully assessed Component integration described, but complete matching board manufacturing or firmware payload not established in this review. [S010] [S011] [S017]
software	available · GPL-3.0-or-later Configuration files and helper scripts; complete external ROS, perception and autopilot source set not preserved. Later-version permission stated in wiki license notice. [S001] [S003] [S015]
model weights	not found · License not fully assessed External diver-following CNN is named; complete matching weights, data and licenses were not assessed in this hardware/configuration profile. [S013]
datasets	not found · License not fully assessed External diver-following CNN is named; complete matching weights, data and licenses were not assessed in this hardware/configuration profile. [S013]
documentation	available · CC-BY-SA-4.0 Design documentation license stated in wiki; wiki snapshot preserved separately from primary repository. [S005] [S006] [S015]

References

Links identify the documentation and revisions used in this profile. Access dates record when each source was retrieved.

S001 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Upstream project overview
Accessed 2026-10-01 · README.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S002 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Repository revision and release metadata
Accessed 2026-10-01 · cf30cb1b4c875db19aa9e471c4fdbc30f248cd88
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S003 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Repository license
Accessed 2026-10-01 · LICENSE_GPLV3
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S004 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Pinned repository artifact inventory
Accessed 2026-10-01 · cf30cb1b4c875db19aa9e471c4fdbc30f248cd88 archive file inventory
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S005 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Design license
Accessed 2026-10-01 · LICENSE_SHAREALIKE
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S006 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Home
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Home.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S007 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: LoCO-1.0-Capabilities-and-Limitations
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / LoCO-1.0-Capabilities-and-Limitations.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S008 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Fabricating-Internal-Structures
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Fabricating-Internal-Structures.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S009 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Fabricating-Structures
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Fabricating-Structures.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S010 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Computing-System-Assembly
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Computing-System-Assembly.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S011 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Configuring-the-PixHawk
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Configuring-the-PixHawk.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S012 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Network-Configuration
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Network-Configuration.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S013 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: TX2:-Required-ROS-Packages
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / TX2:-Required-ROS-Packages.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S014 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Design-Improvements
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Design-Improvements.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S015 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: License-Information
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / License-Information.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S016 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
LoCO wiki: Preparing-for-Deployment
Accessed 2026-10-01 · preserved wiki b711024b2b71ae810bdfc2fb03715e58ba33560c / Preparing-for-Deployment.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S017 · LoCO-AUV / project contributors
Model file paths and explicit unit labels
Accessed 2026-10-01 · cf30cb1b4c875db19aa9e471c4fdbc30f248cd88 archive model inventory
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

Research and review details

Source research only; no installation, physical build or performance test performed. No affiliate links added.

Profile edited 2026-10-01 · Sources checked 2026-10-01 · Next review target 2026-10-31

Revision: cf30cb1b4c875db19aa9e471c4fdbc30f248cd88 (commit snapshot; no published stable release found). Combined hardware and software repository activity recorded 2025-07-01 [S002]

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.6.0-draft.1

Change history