At-sea testing last Thursday.

Went out 18 miles to the EF artificial reef (90 feet water depth) and tested my undersea rover (UR) camera system. Testing went well except the water visibility was so poor I couldn’t maneuver around much. I did get a good video of a school of Amberjack. Here is the video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asuN0ssmHmU

I’m going out again this Thursday. Let’s hope for some better visibility. I have added a vertical stabilizer to the rover for better directional stability, and it will also automatically turn into the current on the way down. This gives me a starting point for directional control.

Pool test of underwater ROV

I completed the swimming pool testing of my ROV. Everything works fine. Next step is to get out on the ocean. Here is a youtube video of the test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVvPaqeuFok

Initial testing of my underwater ROV

 

I completed shallow water testing of my underwater ROV today. Having added the two thrusters I can now maneuver the TV camera in any horizontal direction while viewing from the surface. The thrusters came from Blue Robotics. Battery power for the thrusters is contained in the submersible enclosure. The tether from the surface carries TV and control signals. I can also mount a GoPro camera on the nose of the ROV. Please visit my youtube channel at: www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrBd5oYSFw23bt3uzuU5KQ