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
- difficulty
- ●●●●●
- time
- a serious project
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo STABLE3 stars
●●●●● · a serious project · GPL-3.0 · 3 stars · repo STABLE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
- Soldering kit + basic tools — one-time buy, serves every future build
Partner
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 at time of writing the BOM sheet link is broken. 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
NOT IN THE REPO
- —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 BOM Google Sheet link is currently broken (returns an error)
- —Firmware/software live in sibling repos; the robot needs commercial parts (Jetson, stereo camera, thrusters)
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
The MeCO AUV2:47
The lab's overview of the underwater robot.
Gallery
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)
- The BOM Google Sheet link is currently broken — you may need to reconstruct the parts list
- 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 for an AUV, far cheaper than commercial research vehicles. Note the BOM link needs fixing for current 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.
Keep building — related projects
Same category, picked by how close they are to this build.
FULL CADDummy-Robot — compact 6-axis desktop robotic arm (15k stars)
RoboticsOpen-hardware●●●●●expert
FULL CADNASA published the plans for its Mars rover so you can build one
RoboticsOpen-hardware●●●●○advanced
Partner · KickstarterCodeeBot: build the robot from Lego-compatible bricks and program it by hand; a GPT tutor explains each step.
FULL CADBuild NASA-JPL's Open-Source Mars Rover
RoboticsSpace●●●●○advanced
FULL CADElectronBot — cute WALL-E-inspired desktop robot (9.4k stars)
RoboticsOpen-hardware●●●●●expert
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.
CompareeTEAM1mo ago
An honest snag from our source check: the BOM Google Sheet link is currently broken, so anyone building today would need to reconstruct the parts list — and the repo itself is documentation-only, with the real guide spread over a 15-page wiki and CAD living on OnShape. What we found genuinely unusual is the interaction hardware: displays, light signals and an acoustic transducer on a Jetson brain. Any underwater-housing veterans here with sealing advice?