SPRING 2025

In spring of 2025, we advanced POLARIS through a series of critical engineering milestones that solidified the foundation for our upcoming testing season.

The mechanical team started with KEEL ASSEMBLY, a structural anchor essential for stability and performance. Progress continued with RIBS FABRICATION AND ASSEMBLY, followed by a RUDDER LAYUP, each step contributing to the hydrodynamic efficiency of the hull. We also received our SOLAR PANELS, enabling us to progress toward integrated power systems. A key milestone was the PILOT BUILD OF SAIL WITHIN HULL, where we verified mechanical fitting ahead of final installation and concluded with PAINTING THE BOAT, transforming structural work into a finished, test-ready platform.

In parallel, the electrical team completed the RESEARCH SENSOR FIRMWARE, developed a PROTOTYPE CAN BUS COMMUNICATION LIBRARY, and began testing the SECOND-REVISION CONTROLLER PCBS, which forms the backbone of our electric system. The full vessel WIRING PLAN was finalized, and the team constructed the BATTERY CLOSURE and MONITORING ELECTRONICS, ensuring safe and reliable power management for extended missions.

The software team strengthened the project with feature developments. They implemented GEOGRAPHIC OBSTACLE DETECTION, enabling safer route planning in complex environments. Our simulation environment was upgraded with IMPROVED TEST CAPABILITIES USING MOCK SENSOR DATA, and the platform received new CSV/XLSX EXPORT TOOLS. The team resolved a long standing challenge by IMPLEMENTING CUSTOM PYTHON BINDINGS for a major open-source library. Finally, they also ADDED SATELLITE DATA RECEIVER FUNCTIONALITY, a step towards dependable long-range communication.