A novel low cost ROV for aquaculture application

Marine aquaculture is deeply rooted in Norwegian national economics and traditions, especially in the M⊘re og Romsdal region. This paper presents the development of a novel ROV for aquaculture inspection in marine application to provide first-hand information in fishery nets. The ROV is a part of so called “Sea Farm” project. When the ROV doesnot work, it will be carried by a floating platform. A winch on the platform could lift the ROV down to the sea water and lift it out of water after operation. The basic concept of this ROV is low-cost, built with off-shelf and easily manufactured components. There are three wings on the body part. One thruster is embedded into each wing to provide the propulsion. Based on the cooperation of three thrusters, the ROV has omnidirectional movement capability. A serial tests in the water tank were implemented including motion comparison, speed and turning tests to verify the concept and its propulsion mechanisms. In the end, conclusions and future work are given.