A Scientific Application for Remotely Operated Vehicles

Although Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) have been employed in the underwater circuit since the mid-1990s, their impact upon the ocean community has not been felt until the past decade. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) industry developed from the needs of the oil and gas community to find a cost efficient, and safe method of replacing man and manned submersibles underwater. However, marine scientists have been reluctant to accept this tool as part of their research inventory. The slowness of technological transfer stems from several issues: the lack of quantifiable results; the untried technology; and a lack of awareness. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate to those involved in ocean research that remotely operated vehicles can meet the specialized needs of science at a reasonable cost