About This Project

This project explores the feasibility of using shear thickening materials as a reworkable encapsulant for marine electronics. Traditional methods for waterproofing electronics are often bulky, messy, or irreversible. Shear thickening materials distribute pressure like a liquid but can be removed easily like a solid. The purpose of this study is to understand and share the capabilities and limitations of protecting marine electronics this way.

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What is the context of this research?

More than 95% of where life can exist on planet earth has never been seen by human eyes [1]. The vast majority of our unexplored planet is underwater, and the main reason we know so little about these places is because they are so hard to access. Water - especially seawater - will short-out and corrode electronics if they become exposed to it. The conventional method for bringing electronics into the deep is to enclose them in sealed pressure-proof containers filled with air or to put them in weaker containers filled with hard-curing adhesives like epoxy or filled with ambient-pressure non-conductive oil. All of these methods have limitations that make them impractical for regular people with regular means to develop with.

What is the significance of this project?

Using shear thickening materials (a type of Non-Newtonian fluid, also known as Dilatant) to encapsulate ("pot") electronics to protect them from water could create the means to quickly, cheaply, easily, and reversibly develop and deploy underwater electronic designs which would help democratize underwater exploration. Devices built this way would be easier to implement than traditional methods since no special tooling, equipment, or expertise is needed, and much more rapid iteration on research and development would be possible which could help advance underwater technology much faster. Students and hobbyists could 3D print housings for experimental designs and make modifications to or scrap parts between electronics over time, and professional developers and integrators could produce reliable systems that would still have the ability for rework, repairs, or upgrades.

What are the goals of the project?

The research conducted in this project would seek not only to demonstrate theory, but also give empirical examples of Non-Newtonian fluids working to water-proof electronics in real-world conditions so such methodologies could be repeated by others. The performance, attributes and limitations of using Non-Newtonian fluids for potting will be examined and reported, and the methodologies and best practices discovered to assure success will be documented. As an end result, information will be presented so that anyone can repeat the methodology with high levels of success.

Budget

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This work will be iterative, exploratory, and developed for the public good. The budget will enable tests to be conducted to help understand and document how these materials perform in varying, challenging environments.

Thermal testing will help examine the effects of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion differences between the encapsulant material and its housing, which is often the failure point of traditionally encapsulated enclosures, and will also allow examination of challenges and solutions relating to generally lower thermal conductivity encountered with common silicone-based sheer-thickening materials.

Pressure testing will be used to validate the ability of test materials to maintain interface adhesion under strain from pressure, and to broadly test the encapsulation methodology in realistic scenarios.

Other unanticipated testing and equipment is budgeted since new questions will likely arise in the process.

Endorsed by

Eric's project is the perfect Experiment. A peer-reviewed paper, startup company, or even an open source project would be overkill. It's just a *good* idea, worthy of ongoing testing, and hopefully useful to marine roboticists everywhere. We'll all learn from watching. Back the project to follow the adventure.

David Lang

Executive Director

Experiment Foundation

Project Timeline

I'll be doing this research during nights and weekends, outside of my normal work schedule, so I'm planning progress to proceed in fits and starts. With the funding, I expect to do preliminary tests within one month and testing to continue and progress over the course of six months.

Mar 31, 2025

Acquire test equipment and research materials.

May 17, 2025

Project Launched

May 31, 2025

First test article placed in harbor for long duration testing.

Jun 30, 2025

Testing circuitry developed and ordered.

Aug 31, 2025

Revised testing to measure thermal properties, pressure tolerance, and other refined environmental testing.

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Meet the Team

Eric L. Stackpole

I've spent the last 10 years designing and building low-cost remotely operated vehicals (ROVs) that are intended to make exploration of the unknown possible for anyone. This work was the basis of OpenROV, an organization I co-founded in 2011 that manufactured thousands of these low-cost ROVs which have since explored every corner of the globe. Before working on ROVs I designed parts for low-earth orbiting satellites. I have a bachelor's degree and master's degree in mechanical engineering.