R.O.V. FAQS
Q. What is an R.O.V.?
A. Basically an R.O.V., or Remotely Operated Vehicle, is a tethered waterproof video camera with motors and various sensors, which can be controlled by an operator on the surface without the need for a diver and his attendants.
If you watched the little "Jason" robot swimming through the Titanic you've seen an inspection class R.O.V. in action.
Q. Are R.O.V.s a new unproven technology?
A. No, R.O.V.s have been used by the government since 1956 and by private industry since the mid '70s. It is only recently that R.O.V. prices have dropped to within the reach of small companies like ROBOTIC OBSERVATION VENTURES.
Q. What are the advantages of an R.O.V. compared to divers?
A. R.O.V.s can perform underwater inspections without exposing humans to dangerous situations - inside of a pipe line for example. An R.O.V. does not have the legal and physiological limits imposed on divers. There are no O.S.H.A. regulations concerning R.O.V. operations, an R.O.V. can work at greater depths without the need for decompression or decompression chambers, an R.O.V. has no bottom time limitations, an R.O.V. with an experienced pilot can fly and hover within inches of the bottom without disturbing sediments and creating turbidity.
Q. How do the costs for divers and R.O.V.s compare?
A. Due to smaller crew size, less support equipment and lower insurance rates an R.O.V. inspection will normally be lower in cost than an O.S.H.A. legal diving crew. This is especially significant during inspections deeper than 100 Ft. where additional personnel and a documented, on site, decompression chamber are required by law.
Q. Can your R.O.V. do everything a diver can?
A. No. An inspection class R.O.V. can't do the nut and bolt work a diver can.
Our R.O.V. is an inspection tool, only. Our machine has a simple grabber arm which is able to attach lines, inject water soluable dye, and retrieve small items. This is about the
extent of its work capabilities.
Q. Can Robotic Observation Ventures provide divers for repairs or construction?
A. No. We dont want to, so we dont have dive crews available. Our objective is to provide you with an accurate unbiased inspection based on over 3 decades of world wide underwater inspection and construction experience. There is no reason for us to exaggerate deficiencies in order to perform costly additional and possibly unnecessary work at your facilities.
Q. Could you expound on the basis of the 3 decades of underwater experience mentioned in the previous question?
A. Our R.O.V. pilot was a full time, world class, oil field and civil works inspection and construction diver. He refined his skills working on hundreds of projects under the North Sea, The Mediterranean, The South China Sea, The Straits of Magellan, the East and West Coasts of the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and dozens of inland locations. He was trained and certified as an inspector to Lloyds and Det Norsk Veritas standards. He holds an Association of Diving Contractors International, Bell / Saturation Dive Supervisor Certification #4457.
Your current on site underwater inspector's been in the business for how many months?
Q. Can an R.O.V. be disinfected for potable water tank inspections?
A. Yes, and much more thoroughly than a diver. The R.O.V. and its umbilical are constructed entirely of plastic and metal. There is no duct tape or fabric webbing which trap and act as breeding grounds for bacteria. Also, there is no exhaust of divers exhaled air and secretions into the water during the inspection.
Q. We drain our potable water storage tank for inspections. Isn't this a better method?
A. No. The change in the stabilized hydrostatic pressure under the tank can cause a concrete tank floor to crack and welds to flex and stress crack causing leakage and expensive repair problems. In addition, the walls of a tall dry tank are impossible to inspect without a bosons chair or scaffolding. The R.O.V. can hover at any depth making complete close-up inspection of all wall surfaces possible.
Q. How do we know where the R.O.V. is in the structure?
A. The R.O.V.'s on screen display provides a depth reading in feet and tenths of a foot in addition to a compass heading. This information is recorded on the inspection tape or DVD for easy review.
Q. Other diving inspectors remove the bottom sediments every time they come. Can Robotic Observation Ventures do that?
A. No, because its usually not necessary.
Contrary to what you may have been told by other wet inspection companies, there are no federal, state or local laws or regulations which require sediment removal unless you have an obvious water quality problem.
It costs you a lot of extra money and if the sediments aren't causing turbidity problems there is no reason to clean the tank at every inspection. In addition, there is some question whether the sediments are considered hazardous waste possibly containing trihalomethanes and requiring special transportation permits and disposal at an approved disposal site. Both of which could add considerable cost or heavy fines if not properly handled.
Due to the belief that trihalomethanes are a carcinogen, if your diver/cleaners are dumping removed sediments on the ground its roughly equal to dunping PCBs from an old transformer.
Normally. a potable water storage tank has a silt barrier on the outflow pipe preventing the introduction of silt into the distribution system. The silt barrier is a fancy term for a pipe extension that rises above the floor and any possible silt deposits. As long as the barrier is in place, silt will not enter your system and cleaning is understandably not required or economically desirable.
Q. Are there any other advantages to an R.O.V. ?
A. ....thought you'd never ask.
Your representative(s) can view real time video during the entire inspection and spend as much time as necessary to investigating all anomalies as they're discovered.. We're used to performing inspections with a large "OH, OH Team" looking over our shoulder.
We can safely penetrate any horizontal pipeline with a 15 In. or larger ID.
The R.O.V. never gets cold, hungry, thirsty or has any need to relieve itself.
The R.O.V doen't have a nose to run and secrete mucus through a helmet exhaust into your water. How do you disinfect that?
The R.O.V. can dive as deep as 500 Ft.
The R.O.V. can stay under 24/7 as long as electricity is available. We always arrive on site with a generator, sandwiches, a cooler and an emergency roll of TP to ensure total self sufficiency.
Due to the design of its protective cage it is not susceptible to suction, or Delta P, accidents. There is normally no need to take the structure off line during the inspection.
Q. How big is the R.O.V. and what does it look like?
A. The R.O.V. weighs 29 Lbs. with the grabber arm attached and about a pound less without.
