Equipment

The core piece of equipment used in this project is the VideoRay Pro III MicroROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). The ROV is an underwater robot actuated by two horizontal thrusters and a single vertical thruster. On board senors include video camera, compass, and depth sensor. Additionally, a Tritech Seasprite sonar or Blueview imaging sonar were mounted during the 2008 expedition. During the 2009 expedition, a micro-manipulator was used to pick up artifacts. A KCF Smart tether was also used to give position estimates of the ROV.

The vehicle is attached to a control box using a 250 foot tether. The control box has joystick and dials for controlling the ROV. This box also interfaces with a computer via serial port allowing computer control.

As shown in the figure above, the bottom skid of the videoray had to be removed for some dives to permit the vehicle's entry into a narrow cistern chute.

For more information about the robot, see the VideoRay site.