What Is an Open ROV and How Can You Build One?

TL;DR

An Open ROV is a remote-operated vehicle designed for underwater exploration, built primarily with off-the-shelf parts and an open-source approach. The project allows users to create their own kits, encouraging a global community of DIY ocean explorers. This innovation makes ocean discovery accessible to anyone, not just professionals.

Transcript

(Aquatic noises) So this video was taken at Aquarius undersea laboratory four miles off the coast of Key Largo, about 60 feet below the surface. NASA uses this extreme environment to train astronauts and aquanauts, and last year, they invited us along for the ride. All the footage was taken from our open ROV, which is a robot that we built in our g... Read More

Key Insights

• 💡 ROVs, Remote Operated Vehicles, have been used for decades by scientists, oil and gas companies, but the openROV project's unique approach is in how they built their ROV using off-the-shelf parts and making it open source.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Aquarius undersea laboratory and how does it relate to NASA?

Aquarius undersea laboratory is located four miles off the coast of Key Largo and serves as a training environment for astronauts and aquanauts. NASA utilizes this extreme underwater habitat to simulate space exploration conditions and prepare its personnel for future missions.

Q: What is an ROV and how does it work?

An ROV stands for Remote Operated Vehicle. In this context, it refers to the robot that the speaker and his friend built in their garage. This ROV sends live video footage back to a computer through an ultra-thin tether. It is open source, meaning its design files and code are shared publicly for modification and improvement.

Q: How does the cost of the speaker's ROV compare to the ones used by James Cameron?

The ROV built by the speaker is considerably cheaper compared to the ones James Cameron used to explore the Titanic. The speaker states that their ROV costs about 1,000 times less than the ones used by Cameron, showcasing how affordability and accessibility have been prioritized in their design.

Q: How did the speaker and his friend kickstart their project?

The speaker and his friend started their project by creating a website called openROV.com and sharing their intentions and plans. Initially, it was just them communicating on the forums, but as they received feedback and suggestions from makers, hobbyists, and ocean engineers, their project gained attention. They eventually raised their funding goal on Kickstarter within two hours, allowing them to turn their project into a reality.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Aquarius undersea laboratory is used by NASA to train astronauts and aquanauts. The video footage was taken using an open ROV, a robot that was built in a garage.

• ROV stands for Remote Operated Vehicle and is used by scientists, oil and gas companies for exploration. The open ROV built by the speaker is unique in how it was built.

• The project started with the speaker and friend wanting to explore an underwater cave. They asked for help on the internet, received suggestions, and eventually created kits that they shipped worldwide. The real potential lies in the community of DIY ocean explorers forming globally.