Finding a good underwater unmanned vehicle

Help & Support Professional Robots
1

Hi!

I am interested in differentiating between various UUV’s but other than technical specifications what questions should I be asking to determine what is good versus not? I am looking for something that will be used for underwater habitat monitoring, vegetation surveys etc…

1 Like
2

@JROC Welcome to the RobotShop Community. The UUV market has exploded recently and RobotShop is a bit behind on creating a comparison table.
https://www.robotshop.com/en/unmanned-underwater-vehicles-uuv.html

  • Depth rating & tether distance
  • Camera quality & live streaming (some require a smartphone for video output)
  • Camera pan and tilt
  • Max thrust & speed (to fight currents)
  • Gripper (included or optional)
  • If you want to add your own option
  • Servicing the UUV (can it be disassembled)
  • Onboard sensors (normally orientation)
  • Budget

Note that all but one of the UUVs in that category are not modifiable. Only the BlueROV2 can be modified in case you want to add features in the future (a good example being their optional gripper). Note too that despite being one of the more expensive, the BlueROV2 is a kit which needs to be assembled, and batteries / charger are sold separately.

Most of the UUVs we carry also have a camera at a fixed angle, so if you’re trying to look at something in particular, you’ll have to move the ROV to try to get a good view.

In terms of opinion, the BlueROV2 has been thoroughly tested in applications identical to yours and if budget permits, and you’re ready to make the “investment” in time to get to know everything about it and how it works, it might make for the best investment from the perspective of a company.

1 Like