Design of a compact, battery powered, and fiber optic controlled remotely operated vehicle

H M Brundage, M Aquing, L A Cooney, B Downey, E Huo, A Kwon, M J Stanway, T Stefanov-Wagner, K Stiehl, D Walker

Proceedings of MTS/IEEE OCEANS Washington, D.C., USA

2005-09-17

Abstract

Developed for the 4 Annual Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition, Tim the ROV was designed and built by MIT's ROV team to compete in the Explorer Class division. Capable of operating at depths of 40 feet and completing tasks such as fluid collection, temperature measurements, and object retrieval in less than 30 minutes, Tim was designed to be small and highly maneuverable. To aid in maneuverability, Tim is equipped with on-board power and a passive-spooling, single-strand fiber optic tether. Tim's compact layout and powerful thrusters also contribute to the main design goal - build a small, highly maneuverable ROV capable of competing in the MATE ROV competition.