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Tension at Work

September 7, 2017

Parking lots at WHOI are sometimes used for anything but cars. Engineers Andy Bowen (left) and Don Peters cordoned one off recently so they could test a newly patented tether—part of which is visible behind them, in red—for the Nereid HT hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV). The tether has buoyancy strategically positioned to create an S-shape when suspended in the water, eliminating the need for a second vehicle like Medea to isolate Nereid from the motion of its support ship at the surface. The tether is also strong enough to lift the vehicle in air. These two modifications will make it possible for Nereid HT to operate from a wider range of ships and improve scientific access to the ocean. (Photo by Ken Kostel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)