What Is ROV?

ASSIGNMENT

TEKNOLOGI DAN APLIKASI INFORMATIK MARITIM

(CSA3501)

ZUL’HAIRI BIN CHE MAN  UK26034

MOHD SAIFOL AMINUDDIN BIN RAJAIB  UK26102

MOHD ARIF BIN KASIM  UK26717

BACHELOR OF MARITIME MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS ROV?

An ROV is a transformation machine that will allow ordinary people to become deep sea explorers and stewards of the oceans. ROV is the acronym for Remotely Operated Vehicle. With submersibles, or vehicles that fly under-the-sea, they are sometimes tethered to the ship through a long electrical cord. ROVs are different from “manned” submersibles or vehicles that can carry one or more scientists inside. ROVs allow users to see and film, in great detail, ocean activity that occurs below the surface.

At OceansWide the type of ROV we will use is a robotic submarine about the size of an SUV. It is piloted from the comfort and safety of a control room located on board the surface support ship. The Oceans Wide ROV will be used to explore the depths of the Atlantic Ocean for educational and scientific purposes.

Unlike the typical manned research submarine, which only holds two or three people, ROVs are more flexible and much safer for scientific use. In a manned vehicle, researchers are crammed into a tiny sphere that is usually very cold, with only small windows to see from and no bathroom! Being squished into a tiny space for up to eight hours even with your best friends can be a bit uncomfortable and awkward. They are also more dangerous because accidents mean that the scientists could be trapped thousands of feet below the sea with depleting oxygen, food and water.

An ROV allows 30 or more people to participate in the exploration of the deep sea while also having the ability to move about the ship, get a bite to eat, and remain in a safer environment. The ROV is equipped with multiple cameras allowing one to see the waters that surround the ROV from many different angles. Perhaps the best way to describe the educational experience with an ROV is that of riding a ship while watching an IMAX movie of the deep sea; but there’s a twist: you’re seeing it real time and can participate in the outcome of the expedition.

With the ROV we can gently collect samples from the undersea world and bring them to the surface alive and unharmed for study and description. ROV-based sampling has allowed scientists to discover hundreds of new species. We can shoot video from multiple cameras at different locations on the ROV. We can follow strange sea creatures and document their bizarre behaviors as they glide through the water column or crawl across the ocean floor. We can hunt for a variety of untold treasures and pick about on the ocean floor using our robotic manipulator arms. Some ROVs are used for rescue and recovery, others to survey and inspect the ocean floor and then still more are used in marine archaeology searching the ocean in an attempt to find ships which have been lost for centuries, patiently waiting at the bottom of the sea to tell their story. Each mission will bring about new experiences and countless stories.

Clasification

Submersible ROVs are normally classified into categories based on their size, weight, ability or power. Some common ratings are:

• Micro - typically Micro class ROVs are very small in size and weight. Today’s Micro Class ROVs can weigh less than 3 kg. These ROVs are used as an alternative to a diver, specifically in places where a diver might not be able to physically enter such as a sewer, pipeline or small cavity.

• Mini - typically Mini Class ROVs weigh in around 15 kg. Mini Class ROVs are also used as a diver alternative. One person may be able to transport the complete ROV system out with them on a small boat, deploy it and complete the job without outside help. Some Micro and Mini classes are referred to as "eyeball" class to differentiate them from ROVs that may be able to perform intervention tasks.

• General - typically less than 5 HP (propulsion); occasionally small three finger manipulators grippers have been installed, such as on the very early RCV 225. These ROVs may be able to carry a sonar unit and are usually used on light survey applications. Typically the maximum working depth is less than 1,000 metres though one has been developed to go as deep as 7,000 m.

• Light Workclass - typically less than 50 hp (propulsion). These ROVs may be able to carry some manipulators. Their chassis may be made from polymers such as polyethylenerather than the conventional stainless steel or aluminium alloys. They typically have a maximum working depth less than 2000 m.

• Heavy Workclass - typically less than 220 hp (propulsion) with an ability to carry at least two manipulators. They have a working depth up to 3500 m.

• Trenching/Burial - typically more than 200 hp (propulsion) and not usually greater than 500 hp (while some do exceed that) with an ability to carry a cable laying sled and work at depths up to 6000 m in some cases.

Submersible ROVs may be "free swimming" where they operate neutrally buoyant on a tether from the launch ship or platform, or they may be "garaged" where they operate from a submersible "garage" or "tophat" on a tether attached to the heavy garage that is lowered from the ship or platform. Both techniques have their pros and cons; however very deep work is normally done with a garage.