ROV90 - a Prototype Autonomous Inspection Vehicle

Simple autonomous inspection vehicles are suitable for operations where the cost, danger to humans, or area of operation prohibits the use of conventional underwater technology. Autonomous vehicles are, however, in their infancy and few such vehicles are available. There are still some problems to be overcome before this technology becomes useful in commercial applications. ROV90 was developed to experiment with different aspects of autonomy in underwater vehicles, including software structures for control and reliability, computer vision and navigational systems. ROV90 is essentially a tethered ROV with added functionality in the sensor and computer subsystems. It cannot be used in outdoor operations because of limited tether length and additional computer equipment. However development of a new vehicle PISCES (Prototype Intelligent Submarine for Cableless Inspection and Surveying) is planned. Based on the ROV90 principles the vehicle will be capable of performing simple missions i...