Remote Underwater Exploration
Riviera Maritime Media reported a recent demonstration by Saab showing their Sabretooth AUV’s ability to perform tasks like inspection and maintenance, and return to a subsea docking station for recharging and video download. Quite amazing advance that will allow ROVs/AUVs to stay at depth for dramatically longer periods.
Blue Robotics’ BlueROV2 is also capable of being “permanently submerged” at >800m, which MBARI and The Quest Institute working together with others have done with their unit:
We are about all things ROV, but this news wasn’t what we were expecting. Researchers at University of Richmond’s Lambert Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory are studying rats trained to drive a “Rat Operated Vehicle” in order to advance human mental health treatment. Maybe an underwater ROV will be the next training session for the rats?
Full article at: CNN 23oct19
Our standard BlueROV2 was diving with Moon Jellies (Aurelia aurita) at Balmain, Sydney yesterday.
It is very exciting to see more Citizen Science projects happening around Australia and globally. Here are just a few:
You can also check out the Australian Citizen Science Association for other projects near you.
So great to hear such excitement in the voices of the NOAA researchers!