Balancing Submarine Drone with MultiWii

A personal project repurposing the MultiWii flight controller for underwater balancing, simulating AUV dynamics with low-cost open-source hardware.

Balancing Submarine Drone with MultiWii

Overview

This personal project explores the development of a self-balancing submarine drone using the MultiWii flight controller, originally designed for aerial drones.
The system integrates an MPU6050 IMU and applies PID-based control to maintain stability in pitch and roll while submerged.
The aim was to simulate the control behavior of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with a focus on low-cost, open-source hardware.

Contribution

  • Interfaced the MPU6050 sensor with the MultiWii system using I2C.
  • Modified the MultiWii firmware to enable underwater balancing logic.
  • Implemented PID tuning for dynamic stability.
  • Performed testing and logging data in controlled water environments.

Results

  • Repurposed the MultiWii system for underwater stabilization.
  • Achieved basic pitch and roll balance control underwater.
  • Built a testable prototype demonstrating key principles in AUV dynamics.
  • Shared the complete source code and documentation publicly for community learning and future development.

📂 GitHub Repository: Balancing Submarine Drone

MultiWii GUI

Prototype Video