How it Functions
True or False: An ROV is an occupied underwater robot connected to a ship by a cable, while a human directly drives it in the deep sea.
False: An ROV is an unoccupied underwater robot connected to a ship via a cable, and a human operator "drives" it using a joystick, while it receives video and sensor data in real time.
This Part: determines the precise location of an object, vehicle, or asset beneath the waters surface.
Positioning system: determines the precise location of an object, vehicle, or asset beneath the waters surface.
ROVs map underwater topography, observe tectonic activity, and record oceanic crust formation. They allow researchers to see underwater _____ firsthand.
Volcanos.
By the 1980s, energy companies adopted ROVs equipped with heavy _________ to install, inspect, and maintain deepwater oil and gas infrastructure beyond safe human diving limits.
Manipulator arms.
ROVs captured the public imagination in 1985 when they were used to discover and document the wreckage of the ______
RMS Titanic
This Part: Type of active sonar which operates by transmitting pulses of sound into the water and recording the echoes that are returned as each sound pulse is reflected off objects in front of it.
Scanning Sonar: type of active sonar which operates by transmitting pulses of sound into the water and recording the echoes that are returned as each sound pulse is reflected off objects in front of it.
ROVs monitor ocean health and water quality, giving scientists vital clues about how climate change and pollution affect the planet's ____ systems.
Water.