Lionfish Drone
Overview
The lionfish drone’s purpose is to remove invasive lionfish from the marine ecosystem. Lionfish impact coral reefs by eating the herbivores that help to protect the reefs. Our drone has six thrusters that will help it to dive and resurface in the water. Programming of these thrusters will help the user to control the location of the drone. Electrical components including a leak sensor, IMU sensor, and laser diodes will help in the goal to locate the lionfish. The electrical components are housed in a six-inch PVC pipe and the thrusters are attached to a 3-D printed chassis. A water pump harpoon attachment will be used to remove/dispatch lionfish.
Community Benefit
The lionfish drone will benefit the community by improving the health of the coral reef ecosystem and increasing the reef fish population. Fishermen and diving companies will be able to benefit economically with a healthy coral reef environment. Our local waters will be safe with the lionfish drone.