Advanced System Technology branch AST of Fraunhofer IOSB
Advanced System Technology branch AST of Fraunhofer IOSB

TORTUGA ROV family

ROV Modellbild
© Fraunhofer IOSB

The TORTUGA ROV family is a multifunctional family of agile, remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) that, unlike conventional ROV's, is equipped with an internal energy storage system. This eliminates the need for an external power supply via cables, and the vehicles communicate with their control stations via a compact fiber optic cable.

The flexible design of the vehicles and the different interface options enable them to handle a wide range of tasks. Multiple sensors are available for underwater navigation and environmental sensing. The special feature of the TORTUGA ROV family is that the vehicles can be converted into an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) without any cable connections to the control station - provided that the required navigation sensors are installed.

 

Software:

  • Powerful vehicle software
  • Intuitive graphical user interface
  • Standard interfaces for additional sensors: LAN, RS-232, RS-485, CAN, USB
  • User customization possible through scripts
  • Sensor logging in standard formats for convenient analysis (Excel, Matlab, etc.)

 

Light and cameras:

  • HD cameras (one or more)
  • LED lighting
  • Video capture with configurable captions (sensor data, location, date, etc.)

 

Battery:

  • L and XL version for long and extra long deployments.
  • Easy and quick to change
  • High security level

 

Sensors:

  • Standard sensors::
    • Inertial Measurement Unit
    • GPS
    • Pressure sensor
  • Optional Sensors
    • Sonar units from different manufacturers
    • Water Quality
    • Water sampler
    • Altimeter (for bathymetry)
    • Doppler velocity log (DVL)
    • USBL navigation

 

Cable reel:

  • Compact fiber optic cable
  • Up to 800 meters length
The vehicles are available with five or six drive units for motion and position control. These units use the CAN bus to communicate with the control unit in the central pressure hull. The control unit is further responsible for interaction with the sensors and the battery management system.

The collected data is displayed to the user on a control PC. The optical camera with high-power LEDs is used as standard for navigation and inspection. An optionally available sonar supports the user in obstacle avoidance. The energy storage can be easily replaced. Additional battery modules can be purchased to extend the operating time.

 

Applications:

  • Water quality monitoring
  • Inspection of reservoirs, underwater structures, etc.
  • Water sampling
  • Monitoring of fish farms

Reference customers:

  • Thuringian long-distance water supply
  • China Agricultural University
  • Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute
  • Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute
  • Beijing Research Institute of Telemetry

Content