What is an "ROV"?

Steve Gittings. (February 24, 2006). Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). In NOAA Ocean Explorer. Retrieved July 15, 2011, from http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/subs/rov/rov.html.

Topics:  The description of, uses for, and maneuverability of ROVs. 

Summary:  Remotely operated vehicles are machines that can be driven without people in them.  They can be operated in 2400 feet of water with no problem.  They are linked to a ship by cables that power the ROV.  ROVs are useful because different tools can be installed on them, such as drills, clamps, saw blades, flash lights, and cameras.  Usually all ROVs have a camera and a light installed on them.  

The ROVs are extremely maneuverable.  They can move horizontally, laterally, and vertically by propellors.  They are good for inspecting pipelines or offshore structures.  They can be useful when solving problems by just using the camera to see what the problem is.  If needed, the operator, a.k.a. “flyer”, can switch out or add on a tool in order to help out engineers when problems underwater happen.  

ROVs can be the size of a bread box and can get much bigger.  Some have garages that are placed at the bottom of the ocean.  The ROV then leaves the garage to complete a mission, then returns to the garage to be lifted out of the ocean.

Commentary:  The article is written for anyone wanting to learn about ROVs.  The author's language is clear to everybody.  Descriptions of the uses for ROVs give the reader a good idea of why ROVs are important.  

Information presented in the article came from experience of using ROVs on offshore structures, in cold water, in deep water, and at shallow water depths.  

T. Kurtin