ROV

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Under Water Search

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Everybody,

Resurgam is not finished and I suspect there's a good 12 months before she's done. However, when you can see light at the end of the tunnel you start thinking about your next project. I saw some flexible cabling today with 25 strands at 2 mm diameter. That's got to be enough to control an ROV.

Lights, cameras, power supply, props in every direction etc. and no need for any R/C.

Early days but your comments now would really help before this job gets underway.

Hidden agenda, I might need to find mi boat!

Len

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Now that would be an interesting project, and quite complex too! I'm sure you'd be up to the challenge!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Len, I saw an article in a model boat mag..not sure which one, whereby a chap had built essentially a ROV out of plumbing parts, large stuff, 5 inch sort. Ideal..right colour (can get in Yellow I think) and easy to put together.. all the bits and domes usually have screw together ends, can get glue specifically for the pipe-plastic..

Should be easy with i bit of thought. Use the sort of pumps that Paul T is using for Thor for your thrusters

?? Ashley

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Dear Ashley,

This jobs about pulling all the bits out of the junk box and seeing what you've got. Have no problem with imagineering the ups downs cameras and lights. Need a robot arm. That's where mi brain is at the moment.

Len

[The Long BuildParticipant @thelongbuild]

Some Days, Weeks, Months, ok years !! ago I started (Still on build list) to build a ROV from bits of piping ( was told not to get any more Boat bits) or else,

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

ROVs are all the rage at the moment. Loads of forums on the net dedicated to the,

Remember Paul and his Bilge pump. Check this out for a cool propulsion unit. **LINK**

Andy

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Dear LB and Wl,

Brilliant contributions. I'm sure there is a lot of fun mileage in this job. It's all about lateral thinking and people bunging in ideas. Technology that you could not imagine 20 years ago is now so cheap that it doesn't really matter if the plumbing leaks and a £15 video camera dies! Also love the fact that it can be done on a cable and still mimic full size. Getting rid of all the R/C fuss is a big bonus. At the moment I actually imagine an ROV some 2 feet cubed. Half inch steel tubing frame (like the small gen sets that you see). Specific modules installed encased in say plumbing for propulsion ,vision, power, (back-up power down the cable), flotation (up and down), traction (wheels or tracks), and a grabber arm! Needs to be heavy so it can actually do a job. If I put my finder on the big problem, it's the Robot arm. Need a cunning plan!

Len

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Hi Len

Very interested in your new project, it's something I've been thinking about for some time, probably as a result of things that I was involved with during my last few years of earning a living (took very early retirement). One of our projects was trying to perfect carbon fibre composite instrument housings for rov's. We succeeded in having a design suitable for 3500 meter depth.

Rather than steel tubing for the framework, you might do better with rigid plastic pressure piping in either pvc or abs. glued together, water resistant, rust proof, light and strong. Also don't go "overboard" on weight. ROV's are usually designed to be residually positively bouyant so that you stand a chance of getting the vehicle back in the event of a system failure. If it won't surface by itself any failure could result in the device plunging to the depths, never to be seen again.

I seem to remember that in at least one country, think it was Canada, that there were inter-school competitions designing simple rov's, got the kids interested in engineering, technology and ecology at the same time.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Keith

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Keith, thanks for that.

I'm sure you'll know about how to keep stuff sealed up. 3500 metres. 5000 psi ballpark. Whow! I'm looking at about 12 feet maximum say 6 psi. However I'm sure you'l know how to seal things up so let us know. I';m sure your're right about a rigid plastic frame structure being sufficient but you need to design things that people can walk over in hob nail boots and I want my ROV to do a job. I have no idea what's at the bottom of most model boat ponds but I recon mi ROV needs to be on top of the job. Suspect brass plumbing might be the way I'll go.

Not to worried about getting her back because she'll be on a cable or rather two. One electrical and the other mechanical (1 mm braided cable) taped in parallel. If everything goes wrong then you simply haul it out of the water.

Need to find or make mi robot arm..

Len

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