Remote Underwater Exploration
Interesting news and activities
Images from a compact, purpose-built ROV have just been released showing considerable damage to Unit 1 of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The power plant was severely damaged by an earthquake-caused tsunami in March 2011 and these images show core support pedestal damage, raising concerns that another major earthquake could put the power plant at risk.
Article at: DNAIndia 05apr23
Live-streaming from ROVs for the benefit of Aged Care residents who can’t get underwater themselves – so rewarding!
“I was inspired by the underwater explorations, I felt like I was really there!” said an Aminya Village resident.
Full article at: BaptistCare NSW/ACT 30sep22
ROVs come in all shapes and sizes. This one, named IceFin, was used by researchers from Cornell University, University of Otago, and others to investigate under the Antarctic Ice Shelf
Full article: Astrobiology.com March 2023
In September 2021, the US National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to use an ROV to investigate the sinking of Maine-based fishing vessel Emma Rose in late November 2020. The 82-foot vessel was located using side-scan sonar in an upright position with its outriggers deployed, in ~800 feet (243m) of water on the seafloor ~25 miles (40km) off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts USA.
The cause of the wreck is still unknown.
Full article at: Boston25News 10nov21
Such an inspiring story about a student working out a way to address a global problem!
Anna Du has been building and perfecting an ROV since the age of 12, specifically to identify microplastics in the ocean. She also created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) simulation to predict microplastic locations and has even written a book about her passion!
Full article at: InspireMore 05jun22