Technology:

Mobile ROV System

Ocean Exploration Trust

In collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the NOAA Office of Exploration & Research, OET designed and built a sister ROV system to complement the Hercules and Argus ROVs. The system provides OET with the nimbleness to conduct missions in multiple regions over the course of a year that would otherwise not be efficient to deploy solely from E/V Nautilus.

This telepresence-enabled ROV system, which was brought online in 2019 and 2020, is composed of ROVs Little Hercules, Atalanta, as well as other equipment to provide OET with the flexibility of operating the system from a wide variety of commercial and academic research vessels. The system is capable of supporting exploration to depths up to 6000 meters with 4K imaging systems.

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Mobile ROV System At-A-Glance

Full Mobile ROV System

The full mobile ROV system supports all four of OET’s ROVs, an overboarding system suitable for operations to 6000 meters depth, and an ROV control room suite that can be configured with one, two, or three modified shipping containers (aka, “vans”). Additionally, the system includes a tool van, a spares van, winch, A-Frame, internet satellite dish, USBL navigation system, and other ancillary equipment.

Equipment Summary:

Component	Weight	Size
Tool Van	15000 lb	20’ x 8’ x 9.5’
Control Van A – ROV	18000 lb	20’ x 8’ x 9.5’
Control Van B - Science	15000 lb	20’ x 8’ x 9.5’
Control Van C - Outreach	15000 lb	20’ x 8’ x 9.5’
Chiller Skid	500 lb	8’ x 7’ x 3’
Spares Van	8000 lb	20’ x 8’ x 9.5’
Science Wet Lab (rented)	TBD	20’ x 8’ x 8.5’
Satellite Dish	2700 lb	9’ x 9’ x 9’
421 Winch 421 HPU	34 000lb 5600 lb	10’ x 9’ x 12’ 8’ x 5’ x 7.5’
SOSI Winch SOSI HPU	14000 lb 2500 lb	7’ x 5’ x 7’ 6’ x 4’ x 5’
Aframe	22500 lb	17'x12'x18'
Air Tuggers	300 lb	2’ x 2’ x 4’
Herc ROV	6000 lb	13’ x 6’ x 6’
Little Herc ROV	1000 lb	6’ x 4’ x 3’
Atalanta	2000 lb	7’ x 3’ x 4’
Nav Pole	TBD	TBD
Crane	TBD	TBD

Lightweight Mobile ROV System

The lightweight version of the mobile ROV system is ideal for smaller vessels and exploration targets that are less than 1800 meters deep. This configuration of the system includes ROVs Little Hercules and Atalanta, a one-van ROV control room, A-Frame, and a small winch.