Tethered Pro 4

In the two years following the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster, the small VideoRay Pro-4 ROV logged over 45,000 underwater hours (Lorenzi, 2014a). At just 13 pounds and 12-inches long, the tethered Pro 4 was able to penetrate into small, confined underwater spaces to help locate survivors and disaster victims (Lorenzi, 2014a).

What proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensors does your selected system have that are specifically designed for the maritime environment? The VideoRay’s proprioceptive sensors include a compass, accelerometer and gyro, a leak alarm, voltmeter, temp sensor, and depth guage (VideoRay, 2012a). The exteroceptive sensor for this operation was a wide range, standard definition color camera with a 160º tilt. Aided by

During Costa Concordia operations, divers spent thousands of hours underwater searching the ship. It would be advantageous if multiple ROVs were capable of performing initial searches without risking the human divers. Currently only able to operate autonomously in open water conditions, the VideoRay ROV needs to be able to operate without the use of a tether in a confined underwater environment. A capsized ship will likely have unforeseen obstacles in closely confined spaces; therefore, a sonar sensor and a manipulator arm would be necessary for autonomous ROV operations in order to avoid debris and entanglements.

How might maritime unmanned systems be used in conjunction with UAS to enhance their effectiveness? Many Coast Guard missions involve looking for survivors over large expanses of ocean and the mini-ROV is only useful once a search area has been identified. For this, airborne fixed wing UAVs are essential. The host ship could send out dozens of unmanned airborne searchers in likely directions to make the initial find. Once the site is identified, the mini-ROVs could be tasked to survey underwater