ROVs

ROVs or Remote Operated Vehicles are underwater robots are used for a wide variety of tasks ranging from simple inspection to maintenance and repair work. These tasks are performed on offshore oil rigs, ship hulls, docks, mooring buoys, dams, bridges, power plants, and in water tanks. ROVs are lowered on a cable alone or in a protective cage and then operated on a slack tether that decouples it from the ship's surface motion. Video cameras serve as "eyes" for the operator who controls the vehicle via the cable. An ROV can explore, take photographs, collect samples, or handle instruments, operating around the clock for many consecutive days. Job specific tool skids are sometimes mounted under larger vehicles.

A good write up on ROVs and their history may be found at the MTS ROV committee website.

Hobbyists who want to build their vehicle can start here.

For a line of commercial ROVs available from Ocean Innovations click here.

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