Micro – Mini ROV’s – the debate!

[Tom Crossmon]

ROVSteve,
I couldn’t agree more! I have done everything from evidence/Body recoveries in this countries coldest and warmest regions (we routinely search through the ice) to inspections in South America and I have always been able to finish the job.

I do most all my own repairs because VideoRay has made it possible to do the repairs yourself. Yes there are some things that need to be sent in, but I know I have never waited over two weeks to have it returned to my door.

I recall having an issue with a sonar unit while on a search in Northern Minnesota in February (VERY COLD), and VideoRay sent me a new sonar unit over night so we could finish the search! The family of the man we were searching for was very pleased. Customer service like this is VERY hard to find! The Seabotix that was also on this search failed on day one. The agency that owned that Seabotix has since purchased a VideoRay.

I have also done jobs that I know for a fact couldn’t be done with any other ROV.

Try a head to head test and you too will see.

ROVTOM

[Bob]

Hello – I am new, thinking about starting up a small ROV inspection company…How do the cameras on the Videoray, Seabotix and LBV compare? Specifically with regards to resolution, tilt capability and viewing angle?

[Toon]

WOW Yahoo…!!!

You’ve got more balls than I do …. I’m new to the game as well but, this thread has been going on for 8 months with some very inteligent and informed crits on the various systems…. you going to be lynched if you don’t know that Seabotix manufactures the LBV range….

I know it’s dificult to get technical doc’s but there are loads of spec sheets out there which will answer your questions… just google the manufacturers…

If you really stuck… pm me and I’ll see if I can help you…

Toon

[Toon]

Excellent thread by the way…. thanx

[Bob]

sorry about that I meant AC ROV. Spec sheets can be a little mis leading. Can anyone confirm/add to the following?

It looks like the Videoray has two cameras, one forward facing, one rear. The forward camera is color – 570 lines and tilts to look up and down. The rear is b&w and fixed. The Seabotix LBV had two cameras, one color 570 line and a b&w, but only forward looking? The AC-ROV just has one 540 line color camera and it appears to be fixed?

[Craig Thorngren]

Yahoo,

VideoRay’s Pro4 System has a completely different camera than what you mention (I believe your talking about the Pro3 series). It’s like a high tech camcorder now. If your one of those techy types that likes to play with settings or manipulate things, the Pro4 camera will be the one for you. If you’d rather just have it operate in "auto" mode, it’ll do that just as well and take some amazing pictures!

They also have the option of putting a true HD camera onboard! I think the only group that is interested in HD is the film industry, but they seem to be coming back for more because it gives them a much higher quality video!

Chief

[Bob]

Thanks for the info Chief.

One of the jobs that I would need to perform is an inspection inside a 12 inch pipe – possibly with marine growth. Entrance to the pipe is in about 50 ft of water. In looking at the VideoRay and Seabotix systems they appear to be too large. The Pro 4 looks great, but I was hoping not part with $30k+ to start, but this specific job will require me to look up. The AC ROV looks like the right size. Do you have any experience with that ROV or doing pipe inspections like the one I mention?

[James McLauchlan]

Thanks for the info Chief.

One of the jobs that I would need to perform is an inspection inside a 12 inch pipe – possibly with marine growth. Entrance to the pipe is in about 50 ft of water. In looking at the VideoRay and Seabotix systems they appear to be too large. The Pro 4 looks great, but I was hoping not part with $30k+ to start, but this specific job will require me to look up. The AC ROV looks like the right size. Do you have any experience with that ROV or doing pipe inspections like the one I mention?

The AC-ROV has 190mm (7.48") fly through capability, so would operate within the pipe ID you mention.
It comes with a standard colour camera fitted to the front.
An optional rear (B&W) camera can be fitted to the rear.
When you flick to the rear camera the controls reverse also.
Lights are LED.
Both cameras are fixed. Therefore the AC-ROV tilts (or pans) by controlling the vehicle aspect and not direct camera control.
Go to our site at rovworld.eu and look for the photo Album and video links. They’ll give you a better idea of the system.
We also have a you tube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ROVworld

We’ve just completed a job for a client, not internal pipeline inspection but it was harbour wall damage due to a vessel colliding with it pointy end first!!, A hole was punched in the wall and loads of re-bar poking out all over however it’s pretty hard to hook the AC-ROV up on anything as, due to it’s cube shape, there is little to hook into.

It still doesn’t come with a compass. So no heading and of course no auto head, something that would be of great use for open water. There is a reason for this and the manufacturer is trying to overcome the issue. It’s just about the smallest Micro ROV around with six electric thrusters (four horizontally vectored plus two verts – one at the front and the other at the rear) all driven by independent electric motors. In use the penalty of this design is it creates various magnetic fields in and around the sub and screws with earth’s natural magnetic field in direct proximity. Plays havoc with anything remotely trying to tell you which way you are heading!

It’s a pretty robust little unit (our demo unit is over 4 years old now) and has it’s uses in filling an operational niche that other ROV’s just can’t deal with, such as the job you mention.
The whole lot packs into one hand carry case (the complete system is 18Kg’s all up).
Max tether length is 120m.
Max operating depth is -75m
If you need any further info drop me a line.

[Craig Thorngren]

Yahoo,

I haven’t used an AC ROV, so I don’t know what to tell you about it. How far is the penetration inside the pipe?

The smallest diameter pipe I’ve inspected internally was 14". I used a VideoRay Pro3. It was about a 75 meter penetration to document the condition of a trash rack. If you remove the skid on the VideoRay it’ll fit in much smaller diameter holes. The big issue is the marine growth, and how much is there.

Another option would be to use a pipe crawler unit.

Chief

[Bob]

thanks James, thanks Chief

[James McLauchlan]

The maximum diameter of the VideoRay is no more than 10 inches (25.4 cm).

[Matatac]

Thanks for a great section. Lots of great info here.

Noticed that no one mentioned the ROVBuilder series. Prices seem to range between $8.6kusd for a 70m version to $17.5kusd for a 200m version. Specs seem really good but I’ve never seen one or heard of one. Are they new? It is produced out of Latvia. Anyone used one? It looks a lot like a Videoray in design to me.

http://www.rovbuilder.com/en.html

[Savante]

there is another really cheap russian rov called GNOM. I can’t say anything really about it as I only saw it in a conference in Exxel; but it’s really cheap.

[Paul]

We looked at both ROVbuilder and GNOM. If you’re in the US, the price after shipping really isn’t much less than a low end VideoRay. If you consider the time lag and shipping costs for repair parts or if you ever need to send it back for repairs, whatever savings you might have had would vanish pretty quickly. If you’re in Europe, or some country where doing business with Europe / Russia is easy, then it might be worthwhile.

[Craig Thorngren]

The owner of VideoRay is looking for idea’s on what to do with all of the Seabotix ROV’s that have been traded in on the Upgrade Program. You can see the most recent trade ins here "http://www.rovinfo.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=551&p=1048&sid=204b8b6204331b72090a8de834a7971b#p1048

Chief

[Author]

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