Development of marine grade acrylonitrile –butadiene – styrene (ABS) based hull of an underwater drone

Abstract

Shallow-reef ecosystems demand frequent, nonintrusive surveys to monitor accelerating climate-driven degradation, yet existing compact Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are often costly and difficult to recycle due to thermoset-composite or metallic hulls. This study presents a field-validated workflow for replacing traditional AUV hull materials with large-format Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) marine-grade Acrylonitrile–Butadiene – Styrene (ABS). Guided by a 0–20 m depth, four-hour endurance, and less than 15 kg diver-recoverable mass envelope, a 0.7 m-long, fifteen-segment modular hull was designed with 4 mm wall thickness surrounding a removable polycarbonate electronics tray. By sealing only, the mid-cylindrical electronics pod and intentionally flooding all fairings, buoyancy demand was minimized, requiring less than 150 g of trim ballast. A materialremoving process using honeycomb geometry for buoyancy and weight optimization was performed. These results establish that ABS hulls can match fiberglass in performance and durability while delivering significant environmental and occupational health benefits offering a blueprint for low-impact marinerobotics fabrication.