Remotely operated underwater vehicle

A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) or remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is a free-swimming submersible craft. These underwater machines are often used to explore the ocean depths while being operated by people at the surface, usually from a control room. ROVs help scientists, workers, and the military by allowing them to see and work underwater without needing to go into the water themselves.

ROVs are used for many important jobs, such as checking pipes and equipment under the sea, fixing things, and doing research. They can perform tasks like opening and closing valves, operating hydraulic systems, and replacing parts. This makes them very useful in the oil and gas industry, where they help keep important equipment working well.

Because ROVs can go to very deep places, they are used for exploring parts of the ocean that are too deep for most submersibles or human divers to reach. They can carry special tools to complete specific jobs, such as connecting underwater pipes or fixing broken parts. This helps people study the ocean, find resources, and keep things safe far below the water’s surface.

Description

ROVs are special machines made to work underwater, where it is very deep and dark. Unlike cars or airplanes that use radio signals, ROVs need a strong cable to connect them to people on a ship or land. This cable sends power and lets people see and control what the ROV is doing.

These machines are very good at moving around and can be used for many jobs, like helping to get oil from the ocean. They usually have cameras and lights, and sometimes extra tools like arms or sensors to learn more about the water.

Classification

Underwater remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are grouped by size, weight, and what they can do. Some smaller ROVs, called Micro-class, weigh less than 3 kg and are used in tight spaces where divers cannot go. Mini-Class ROVs weigh around 15 kg and can be carried and used by one person on a small boat.

Other ROVs are used for more advanced tasks. Inspection Class ROVs gather data and images using cameras and sensors. Larger ROVs, like Heavy Workclass ROVs, can perform stronger tasks at deeper depths, up to 3500 meters. Some very strong ROVs, used for laying cables, can work even deeper, up to 6000 meters. These ROVs can either float freely from a ship or be stored in a special garage on a submarine. Main article: HP Main articles: sonar, polyethylene

History

In the 1970s and '80s, the Royal Navy used a special underwater machine called "Cutlet" to pick up practice torpedoes and mines.

The first underwater remote vehicle was made in 1953 by Dimitri Rebikoff. The U.S. Navy helped improve these machines in the 1960s so they could help with deep-sea rescues and find things lost in the ocean, like a nuclear bomb in the Mediterranean Sea. Later, the oil and gas industry started using these machines, called ROVs, to help build and fix things far below the water where people could not dive. They became very important in the 1980s when oil fields grew too deep for divers.

ROVs have also helped find many famous shipwrecks, like the RMS Titanic and the Bismarck. They have been used to bring artifacts from these ships back to the surface, most recently in July 2024 during a Titanic expedition. Besides oil and gas work, ROVs are also used by the military for clearing and inspecting mine areas, and they help scientists explore the ocean.

Construction

Work-class ROVs are built with a large flotation pack on top of an aluminium chassis to help them stay afloat while performing tasks underwater. The way the aluminum frame is made can vary depending on the design of the maker. Syntactic foam is often used to help the ROV float. The ROV is made so that lighter parts are on top and heavier parts are on the bottom. This helps keep the ROV stable and stiff while working underwater. Thrusters are placed in special ways to help the ROV stay balanced and move correctly, even in rough water.

The electrical parts of the ROV are kept safe in special compartments to protect them from water and pressure deep underwater. ROVs are fitted with thrusters, cameras, lights, a tether, a frame, and controls to do basic work. Extra tools like manipulators and sonar can be added for special jobs. Many ROVs have two robotic arms, each with different tools for gripping. The cameras are also protected to avoid damage from bumps. Most ROVs are built this way, but smaller ones can look very different depending on what they are meant to do. Larger ROVs are often used from ships and may have special parts to help them get back on the ship.

Configurations

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) come in three main types. The first is the open or box frame ROV, which looks like a cage with all its parts inside. This type is good for moving around in gentle currents but isn’t good for being pulled behind a boat. Many strong work-class ROVs use this design.

The second type is the torpedo-shaped ROV, often used for gathering data or checking things under the water. This shape moves easily through the water but can be tricky to control, especially at slow speeds. These are sometimes called "Tow Fish" because they are often pulled behind boats.

Tether management

ROVs need a special rope called a tether to send power and information between the vehicle and the people on the surface. This tether must be the right size—not too big, or it will slow the vehicle down, and not too small, or it might break when lifting the vehicle.

The tether is usually stored on a special device called a tether management system, which helps keep the tether from getting tangled. In some cases, this system can also be used to lower or bring the vehicle back up.

Applications

ROVs are special underwater machines that people control from above the water. They help look at things deep in the ocean, like checking pipelines or looking at ships. Even though they are smaller, they can do many jobs and carry tools like cameras and lights.

People use ROVs to help film movies and shows because they can go places that divers cannot reach. They are also fun for hobbyists who build their own small ROVs to explore shallow waters.

Main article: Remotely operated vehicle intervention during diving operations
Main articles: Submarine rescue, Lusitania, BBC Wildlife Special

Science

ROVs are widely used by scientists to explore and study the ocean. They help discover and observe deep-sea animals and other sea creatures in their natural homes, like the jellyfish Stellamedusa ventana and the eel-like halosaurs. In the US, important research happens at places such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Rhode Island / Institute for Exploration (URI/IFE). In Europe, the Alfred Wegener Institute uses ROVs to study sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Science ROVs are often equipped with bright lights and high-quality cameras to capture clear videos of the deep sea. They also carry special tools and sensors to collect samples and data. These ROVs help scientists study underwater environments, including ancient shipwrecks, like the Mardi Gras Shipwreck Project in the Gulf of Mexico and the CoMAS project in the Mediterranean Sea.

Education and outreach

The SeaPerch Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) program helps students in elementary, middle, and high school build simple underwater robots using easy-to-find materials like polyvinyl chloride pipes. This program teaches students about ship and submarine design and introduces them to ideas in naval architecture, marine, and ocean engineering. It is supported by the Office of Naval Research and managed by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

ROVs are also used to teach students about careers in the ocean sciences and improve their skills in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center holds an annual competition where student teams from around the world design and build ROVs to solve real-world problems. This competition is funded by groups like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Oceaneering, and many others who value training students in technology skills such as ROV design, engineering, and operation. MATE was started with money from the National Science Foundation and is based at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California.

Military use

ROVs have been used by many navies for many years, mainly to find and clear mines from the water. In 2008, the U.S. Navy started using a new system called SRDRS, which includes a special underwater craft to help rescue people from disabled submarines. They also use a tool called AN/SLQ-48 to deal with underwater mines from a distance.

These tools can cut cables, drop small weights to break up mines, or grab and move mine cables. They are used only on special ships designed for finding and clearing mines. Smaller ROVs are now also used by many navies and coast guards for checking water areas, finding hidden dangers, and keeping ports safe.

Specific vehicles

Here are some special underwater machines people can control from far away:

• Echo Ranger – a marine machine made by Boeing that can move on its own underwater
• Eelume – a machine for checking, fixing, and repairing things underwater
• Global Explorer ROV – a deep-water machine for science and mapping
• Nereus (underwater vehicle) – a machine that can be controlled or move on its own
• PantheROV – a machine built by students at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• Scorpio ROV – a strong machine for working underwater
• VideoRay UROVs – small machines for looking at things underwater