Underwater Instrumentation Deployment Using a Small Remotely Operated Vehicle

Advances in underwater sensing technology have resulted in the reduction of the size and cost of instrumentation packages. As a result, sensing systems can be deployed in larger numbers, increasing the spatial resolution of measurements, providing a better picture of the underwater landscape as it relates to a particular sensing modality. In addition, minimization trends in electronics have reduced power consumption requirements which, coupled with advances in battery technology, has increased the functional lifetime of many systems. This also impacts memory, which has notably increased in storage size while dropping in price, enabling for more frequent measurements, increasing temporal resolution. The reduction in the size and increases in capabilities of underwater instrumentation paves the way for more accessible, intentional, targeted deployment of systems. This paper addresses the deployment of such instruments using mini class remotely operated vehicles (ROV s) including: 1) the design, implementation, and testing of a payload release mechanism, 2) consideration of recovery mechanisms on deployment, and 3) ballasting and trim of a payload/ROY coupled system. Deployment is demonstrated with a payload of an underwater camera with integrated temperature and depth sensors with communication provided by an acoustic modem.