Cibola alum dives into submarine robotics field

At the young age of 8, Eduardo Moreno enjoyed spending his time taking apart radio controlled cars to make various contraptions and gizmos.

Now, at the age of 23, Moreno has been making waves in the underwater robotics world with his new system of robots.

He explained in an email that his Autonomous Cooperative Underwater Robotic Vehicle, or A-CURV, can potentially be used by the U.S. Navy, the Department of Homeland Security, film crews and during rescue missions.

“My current goal is to create technology through basic and applied research that will improve or change the way we interact with robotic systems,” said Moreno. “I hope to help innovate the next generation of exploratory and defense robotic systems.”

After graduating from Cibola High School in 2006, studying abroad for one year in Belgium and studying at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University for two years, Moreno then transferred to the University of Arizona to continue his studies in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, where he developed the system of low-cost robots.

“This past summer, while enrolled in the Ronald E. McNair Summer Research Program in Tucson, I began to hastily search for a research topic after my assigned mentor left unexpectedly due to a personal conflict,” he said. “This roadblock would turn out to be the greatest blessing. I immediately turned to the research projects that have made me the most excited in the past: the design of underwater marine vehicles.”

He described his prototype as a robot that can accomplish a variety of tasks including gathering environmental and scientific data, exploring an underwater environment more rapidly and precisely than existing systems. He explained that the robot is equipped with an array of sensors: temperature, pressure, salinity, a compass, Inertial Measurement Unit, a camera and a mechanical gripper.

“Very recently, we witnessed the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a large man-made disaster that has devastated the Gulf Coast,” he said. “The severe lack of underwater technologies necessary to stop the disaster became apparent to the world. Most deep sea operations have complex issues that are difficult to solve and entail heavy risks. Underwater robots are the No. 1 tools for the job.”

Moreno said that the robot project totalled $8,000 to build, adding that he had many funding sources, 75 percent of which was through scholarships.

He said that it took him one year to design, build and test the robot. During that time he enlisted the help of a team of five students with an engineering background, of which he was in charge, to assist him after he realized the magnitude of the project that he dedicated four hours a day to on average.

“I needed to seek help in areas where my expertise was not strong: mainly programming and higher level electronics,” Moreno commented. “I also sought help because I believe that people from different educational and cultural backgrounds, in this case a multidisciplinary senior design team, have different ideas and bring their expertise and creativity into a complex project. In our modern world of large globalization, we are bound to encounter and work with people from different backgrounds.”

He attributes his accomplishments, in part, to his strong high school foundation at Cibola with dedication of his teachers, especially his English teachers since it was his second language. He also attributes success to the support of his family and friends who keep him going during stressful times.

During the last year he has presented his research and findings at an Underwater Intervention in New Orleans, La.; the Society of Advancing Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in Anaheim, Calif.; at the Graduate Student Program Committee (GSPC) and at the University of Arizona Summer Research Conference.

He is currently in the process or applying for graduate school to continue his studies in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in robotics. Eventually, he said, he would like to work in a research and development department leading innovative projects.

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858.