MECO: BUILD YOUR OWN UNDERWATER AI ROBOT
An open autonomous underwater vehicle built for human-robot interaction — front displays, light signals, stereo vision and an edge-AI brain.
by UMN IRV Lab
RoboticsUnderwater
Built withTeensy
- difficulty
- ●●●●●
- time
- a serious project
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo STABLE4 stars
●●●●● · a serious project · GPL-3.0 · 4 stars · repo STABLE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
MeCO is a genuinely unusual project — an open autonomous underwater vehicle from a University of Minnesota lab, designed specifically for human-robot interaction: front and side displays, light-based communication, an acoustic transducer and stereo vision, all driven by an edge-AI brain. We love that it exists, and we're honest that it's niche and demanding. The repo you land on is documentation-only; the actual build is a 15-page Wiki, the CAD is on OnShape (nothing to download in the repo), and the bill of materials is a Google Sheet linked from the wiki sidebar. It also needs serious commercial parts and a pressure housing. This is a research-grade, advanced build for someone who really wants an underwater robot — not a weekend kit — and the lab is upfront that they can't offer commercial support.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —This is a documentation-only meta-repo — the real build guide is the GitHub Wiki (15 pages, 61 photos)
- —CAD lives on OnShape (public); there's no STL/STEP in the repo
- —The bill of materials is a public Google Sheet linked from the wiki sidebar (Parts List), with quantities, unit prices and supplier links; an older copy of the link on the wiki home page is dead.
- —Most firmware/software repos linked from the README are on the University of Minnesota's internal GitHub and need a university login; the robot needs commercial parts (Jetson Orin NX, ZED Mini stereo camera, four Teensy 4.1 boards, thrusters).
Parts to buy
6 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
The MeCO AUV2:47
The lab's overview of the underwater robot.
More builds like this
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the project site (the overview)
- 2.Watch the demo (see it underwater)
- 3.Work through the Wiki (the real 15-page build guide)
- 4.Read the paper (the research behind it)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- It's a documentation-only meta-repo — the build lives in the Wiki, and CAD is on OnShape (nothing to download in the repo)
- Use the Parts List link in the wiki sidebar — the link on the wiki home page is an older one that no longer opens.
- It needs expensive commercial parts and a reliable pressure housing; the lab can't offer commercial support
What makes MeCO special?
It's built for underwater human-robot interaction — displays and light signals to communicate with divers, an acoustic transducer, and stereo vision, all on an edge-AI brain (Jetson Orin NX + Teensy) running ROS2.
Where's the build guide?
In the GitHub Wiki (15 pages, dozens of photos). The main repo is documentation only; firmware is in sibling repos.
Can a hobbyist build it?
Only an advanced one. It needs pressure-housing know-how and pricey parts, and it's a research project — treat it as such.
What does it cost?
Band $$ — 'medium cost' is in the name, and the paper describes it as inexpensive to build compared to similarly-capable AUVs. The Parts List sheet linked in the wiki sidebar has itemised prices.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
MeCO talks to human divers underwater through front displays and light signals. Is a screen the right interface at depth, or would you bet on acoustics and gestures?
UMN IRV Lab
A University of Minnesota lab open-sourced an underwater robot designed for interacting with human divers, documenting it as a research platform rather than a commercial kit.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited
Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.