Robots are crucial for any industry, and a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation is one of the best ones.
In this modern era, human jobs can be helped a lot by various kinds of robots. Some of them can do many things, and also those are purposely built to do one specific task. Robots can even cover a working area on land, air, as well as under the water.
A lot of things need to be surveyed beneath the sea. However, to do such a thing is difficult and dangerous for humans due to many factors. That is why humans need a specific robot to do the task, and that robot is a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation.
What is Mini ROV
There are two kinds of underwater vehicles that do not need any driver to control them from the inside. Those kinds are AUVs, or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, and ROVs, or Remotely Operated Vehicles.
Just like the name, AUVs can move automatically under the water without any direct human interference. On the other hand, ROVs are the opposite, as they can be controlled directly by a human from the surface. For that controllability, a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation is preferable for surveying purposes.
Mini ROV is a kind of mobile underwater robot to help humans do many underwater activities. Humans might not be able to reach some underwater spots, but by operating a mini ROV from the surface, any difficult underwater task can be done without a fuss.
Mini ROVs are commonly used for surveying purposes in some offshore oil and gas operations. They can also replace divers’ tasks for various industrial jobs. Moreover, thanks to their compactness and practicality, mini ROVs make any offshore developments more convenient.
Parts of Mini ROV
The small size of a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation does not mean a lack of parts. In fact, the robot is a compact combination of these technologically advanced parts.
Microcontroller
As humans need the brain, a robot needs a microcontroller to function. One particular microcontroller best used for mini ROV is the ATMega16, as it can execute an instruction quicker than other microcontrollers.
The ATMega16 microcontroller has many features which make it able to be used for various electrical system applications. In mini ROV, this microcontroller has a role in making everything in the robot, such as the movement, lighting, and camera works.
Thruster Motor
In general, mini ROV uses two or more thruster motors, which then transfer some movement energy toward a propeller on the robot. The pushing power is produced by the propeller, just like other common underwater vehicles.
For the thruster motor itself, ROVs commonly use bilge pumps, which are normally used to pull water out of a ship’s hull.
Lighting
If it is not obvious enough, several meters beneath the water is a very dark place. Therefore, a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation needs a proper lighting system.
The lighting must provide a clear underwater visual for the operator to see. It can not be a common lighting system as the underwater environment can absorb light easily.
Camera
It is crucial for a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation to have some kind of capturing system; otherwise, the robot could not serve its intended purposes. For that, most mini ROVs use CCD or charge-coupled devices.
This device is attached to a small circuit board on the robot to deliver some video signal toward a capturing device on the surface. This camera helps the operator control where the ROV goes and what to observe, as it is impossible to supervise the underwater robot from above.
Controller
Mini ROVs need to be controlled by an operator, so a controller is a necessity. Controlling the robot with this method is actually the easiest way to command it. The controller is connected to the robot by some wiring for the sake of communication between the two devices.
Software
Last but not least, a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation needs soul, and the AVR Basic Compiler is here for the role. It is a kind of software used to translate the basic command so the microcontroller can understand the assignments.
It seems like any kind of industry can not work well without robots, and a one-stop solution surveyor company like Explora Prima is no exception. That is why developing a mini ROV designed for rapid deployment and simple operation is a technological breakthrough.
With the development of this ROV, we have used it in the work we have done and successfully surveyed underwater piles at Medco Energy’s Ramba Jetty. The location is in South Sumatra, and the alpha type mini ROV is used to document the actual condition of the piles there. With zero accident.
