Diving to the Deep: Uncovering the Mysteries of Mid-Ocean Ridges
AbstractLong Beach City College (LBCC) returns to the 2008 MATE Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition with the Viking Super Agile Benthic Exploration ROV (SABER) ready for work. The purpose of this ROV is to explore the depths of the mid-oceanic ridges while taking temperature readings of black smokers, recovering samples and safely returning them to the surface. The ROV was designed with a frame made from buoyant PVC. The design made in SolidWorks greatly increases water flow, allowing it to glide through the water to a depth of about 30 m due to tether length. The length, width, and height of the ROV are 76 cm, 50 cm, and 28 cm, respectively. With a surprising 16 kg of weight, an average person could lift it easily, using the handles that are part of the frame design. LBCC’s ROV carries four cameras: a dual camera stereovision system, which creates a distance-measuring viewing system; a single high-resolution, low-light color camera with multi-directional movement; and an unfixed camera, which can be mounted anywhere for extra viewing. The five thrusters provide 2.9 kg of thrust each, enabling it to be quick and powerful. In order to complete the assigned tasks, a multi-function gripper was designed and built. This gripper has a built-in hook to grab the ocean bottom seismometer and help return it to the surface. The gripper has a channel cut into the middle of it to allow water flow, so the temperature sensor can be deployed properly and it can also easily pick up the lava samples.