Successful test for pressure tolerant ROV

It took place recently within the framework of the ‘Pressure tolerant deep sea systems’ project of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).

Driven by electric thrusters, the light vehicle easily manoeuvred above the seabed, streaming live video from over 4,000m deep with its three video cameras and LED lights.

The actual robot was attached to its tether management system (TMS) during the two hour descent into the deep. It left the TMS 20m above the seafloor and continued its journey being remotely controlled. A video and data link allowed the engineers to navigate the vehicle and monitor its behaviour. Both the TMS and the ROV were powered with batteries that can be recharged during the mission, so the ROV’s stay on the seafloor is in theory unlimited.

Less than 1m wide, the 420kg Erno2 is a relatively small ROV. All Erno2 equipment takes up only a half of the standard 20 foot container, making Erno2 one of the world’s smallest deep sea ROVs. Operating depths of 6,000m are possible due to the vehicle’s pressure tolerant construction.