New innovations under development at Stinger
The Nansen Centre team visited our friends at Stinger today to see the latest developments in ROV technology, in preparation for HiAOOS first field season (2024). These developments will facilitate battery charging in the moored instruments deployed in the high Arctic Ocean.
The Stinger ROV system consists of a small, powerful electric ROV, a tether for delivering power and communication, and a topside unit. The topside unit demands 2x16A normal 230v outlets and transforms this into high voltage DC current for delivering up to 1000m tether. The ethernet from the computer is converted into a long-range ethernet over copper wires delivering fast speeds for camera stream and sonar etc. Power is converted to low voltage to run 8 thrusters controlled by a control unit and motor controllers, giving the ROV 6 degrees of freedom. It is manually controlled by Stinger’s own remote control by the use of different flying modes that make the ROV stable or hover (with depth reading as sensor input).
As a structure, the mini ROV has 3D printed parts for easy production and redesign along with sturdy covers that are easy to remove due to the ROV being held together by big nylon threaded rods. Thruster guards are added to keep debris and marine growth away from thruster blades.
The ROV can handle different sizes of payload, grippers, or sensors according to the needs of the mission. It is equipped with individually controllable light enabling easy detection of small cracks or for detailed inspection of small, often hard-to-reach objects.
The ROV will be tested in the field, near the NAXYS AS facilities in Bergen, during October. Stay tuned for updates.
