The

Remote Operated Vehicle A remotely operated underwater vehicle (technically ROUV or just ROV) is a tethered underwater mobile device, commonly called ''underwater robot''. Definition This meaning is different from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the a ...

(ROV) SuBastian is owned and operated by the

Schmidt Ocean Institute Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating foundation established in March 2009 by Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt. The Institute's goal is to advance innovative oceanographic research and discovery through technological adv ...

and is used for scientific exploration of the deep sea. ROV SuBastian is operated from the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel RV ''Falkor'' and can reach depths up to 4,500m (2.8 miles). The tethered robot has an array of scientific capability which includes: * Deploying and recovering scientific equipment * Photomosaicing * Sample collection * Seawater characterization *

Seafloor mapping Seafloor mapping (or seabed mapping), also called seafloor imaging (or seabed imaging), is the measurement, mapping, and imaging of water depth of the ocean (''seabed topography'') or another given body of water. Bathymetric measurements are ...

* 4k High-resolution video ROV SuBastian is an adaptable system and additional sensors and scientific instruments can be mounted onto the ROV based on a science party’s specific research goals.

History

ROV SuBastian was named after the character Bastian from the German fantasy novel ''The Neverending Story'' (Bastian) combined with “sub,” as the vehicle is used subsurface. ROV SuBastian operates solely from R/V Falkor. ROV SuBastian was specifically designed and constructed for scientific research in 2015 by a California-based team of engineers. The design and construction process took approximately 18 months. SuBastian was tank tested at the

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is a private, non-profit oceanographic research center in Moss Landing, California. MBARI was founded in 1987 by David Packard, and is primarily funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation ...

prior to its first deep sea launch. The inaugural dive occurred in 2016 in the deep sea off

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. As of 2020, ROV SuBastian has completed over 400 dives around the globe, enabling researcher’s access to remote regions and depths. Researchers utilizing ROV SuBastian have discovered new species, seafloor features, and advanced scientific exploration of the global ocean.

Specifications

ROV SuBastian weighs 3,200kg and is 2.7m x 1.8m x 1.8m, roughly the same size as a subcompact car. The vehicle is fitted with syntactic foam, allowing it to be neutrally

buoyant Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the pr ...

while diving. SuBastian moves using five thrusters; one thruster moves it sideways, two move it forward and back, and another two are used for vertical movement. It is tethered to ''Falkor'' with a highly flexible and robust umbilical cable, which provides electrical and optical signals between the ship and ROV. The umbilical uses a cantilever system to avoid entanglement with propellers. ROV SuBastian transits at a speed of 0.5 – 3 knots, depending on depth and currents. Once deployed, ROV SuBastian is controlled by at least two pilots aboard the ship. The dive length depends on objective, depth, and weather. The average dive time is around 8 hours, but there are no technical limits on how long an ROV can stay down.{{Cite web, title=One Step Closer to the Seafloor - New Underwater Robotic Vehicle Tested in Guam {{! RoboticsTomorrow, url=https://roboticstomorrow.com/news/2016/08/23/one-step-closer-to-the-seafloor--new-underwater-robotic-vehicle-tested-in-guam/8657/, access-date=2020-10-12, website=roboticstomorrow.com, language=en-US

References

Remotely operated underwater vehicles