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Game Changer

December 1, 2012

In October, WHOI engineers working in Guam made a major breakthrough in remote vehicle technology. Using the hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) Nereus equipped with an optical modem, a team was able to control the vehicle from the surface without a direct, tethered connection. During the test dives, operators watched a real-time video feed from Nereus while maneuvering along the bottom and using its manipulator arm to plug a data connector into a seafloor node. The optical modem that the vehicle was equipped with promises to improve undersea communications and greatly reduce the cost and complexity of underwater vehicle operations. (Photo by Alex Bocconcelli, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)