Exploration • Drilling • Field Services
Fig. 1. The SeaBotix vectored Little Benthic Crawler (vLBC). Photo courtesy of ARMS.
Evolution of MiniROVs
Alasdair Murrie looks at remotely operated vehicle developments for the underwater industry.
R
emotely operated vehicles (ROV) are an increasingly critical element of the underwater industry. Helping to automate a range of processes and making tasks such as inspection and maintenance not only safer but also more efficient, it’s easy to see why these vehicles are proving so popular among underwater operations experts. ROV manufacturer SeaBotix designs and
develops versatile ROV platforms – or ‘Little Benthic Vehicles’ as they are known. Te company’s innovative and versatile approach
is achieved through sophisticated design and proof- of-concept processes, often including collaboration with fellow innovators to deliver these robust and practical subsea solutions to market.
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One particularly relevant example of this versatility can be seen in the tracked, vectored Little Benthic Crawler (vLBC), and its smaller sibling, the wheeled LBC. By fitting a standard SeaBotix vLBV300/950
or LBV300-5 ROV with the non-magnetic Vortex Generator integrated on the vLBV’s tracked or the LBV’s wheeled skid, it is possible to crawl horizontally or vertically along any reasonably flat and solid surface in a very precise and controlled manner at speeds of up to 35m (115ft)/min. Te impeller creates a low-pressure pocket or venturi effect beneath the vehicle yielding up to 28kg (62lb.) of attractive force. Tis is sufficient to maintain precise operations whilst a vessel is underway at sea or anchored in strong currents.
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