remotely operated vehicles
- A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is a tethered underwater robot. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction.
- An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air.
- ROVs are unoccupied, highly manoeuvrable and operated by a person aboard a vessel. They are linked to the ship by a tether (sometimes referred to as an umbilical cable), a group of cables that carry electrical power, video and data signals back and forth between the operator and the vehicle.
- High power applications will often use hydraulics in addition to electrical cabling. Most ROVs are equipped with at least a video camera and lights.
- Additional equipment is commonly added to expand the vehicle�s capabilities. These may include sonars, magnetometers, a still camera, a manipulator or cutting arm, water samplers, and instruments that measure water clarity, light penetration and temperature.