ROVs & Caving

A

adam speight

Guest
:idea:
Would it be possible to use a R.O.V to explore cave systems. ie. like the ones used on Titantic.
It could explore the bottom of sump 26 in Wookey Hole
iIt would be able to explore for longer than a diver on tanks.
 

bubba

Administrator
Somebody must have tried this somewhere - I suppose it's a bit over-technologising ( :roll: :shock: ) the sport but I guess it would save divers a lot of time in some sumps.
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
And of course there's a difference between actually going somewhere and sending a robot there instead of yourself - "to explore" infers a physical presence, rather than passive/active watching. Sending a robot to Mars hasn't quite the same impact as sending a man (although it's still an amazing feat and deserves respect and congratulations). Looking at satellite images of the top of Everest is another example etc..

Also, although ROVs can achieve much beyond the physical limits of humans they probably (I admit I'm guessing on this one) cost a shed load more money than fully equipping yourself with diving gear - and who the hell is going to provide insurance cover for using an ROV in a cave in case it gets stuck?


OK, so Wookey 26 goes to -60m; technical divers are able to dive beyond that (at least to -100m+)... it's just that the way on tightens too much (according to the superb film footage of Gavin Newman's "Wookey" film... if you haven't seen it yet visit Hidden Earth 03 and get an eyeful.



However, if you invent an ROV that can voyage to the parts of caverns that other cavers cannot reach I'm sure there's a pint or two in it for you!... perhaps you'll discover caverns measureless to ROVs.
 

bubba

Administrator
Don't think it'd ever be a substitue for real exploration but might save a lot of wasted dive time if you could send one into a sump to see if it was worth exploring any further or if it just tightened up. Who knows?

We need a little R.O.M (Remotely Operated Mole) to send through dry digs to see where they end up :wink:
 

Duncan Price

Active member
adam speight said:
:idea:
Would it be possible to use a R.O.V to explore cave systems. ie. like the ones used on Titantic.
It could explore the bottom of sump 26 in Wookey Hole
iIt would be able to explore for longer than a diver on tanks.

The deepest cave dive has been done by ROV - see here -411 m and still going.

The Americans are developing an autonomous mine surveyor called Groundhog

Duncan Price
 

SamT

Moderator
I have sometimes wondered about fiber optics and/or remote type video lense's.
I know bubba has one for his video camera - a lense on a wire - tape it to some drain rods - see what you can see.
 

bubba

Administrator
Now that's a very good idea - all you'd need is to extend the lead to the cigar lens a bit, and you've got a DIY dig explorer!
 
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