Page 658 - The ROV Manual - A User Guide for Remotely Operated Vehicles 2nd edition

happens again. This is a great step to protect the environment in the future, but if only a small amount of those funds were put into more vehicle surveys and preventive maintenance, such extreme expenditures for containment systems may not be required.
As reliable as today’s offshore systems are, with the combination of human nature, Mother Nature, Murphy’s Law and the laws of physics (and statistics in general), something catastrophic will happen again in the future. The good thing is that we have the technology to address the problems as they arise, but probably not the amount of equipment and support necessary to bring things back on line in a timely fashion. That was more than proven in the aftermath of 2012’s perfect storm when Hurricane Sandy hit the northeastern United States just as a winter storm came in from the west, all timed to arrive during a full-moon high tide. Who would have expected that level of devastation? The lack of assets to bring the infrastructure back to life in a timely manner only exacerbated the storm’s lasting effect. The point of this discussion is that there will eventually be an overwhelming need for ROVs and support vessels due to the next disaster. But they will not be there for immediate support because the bottom line typically plans for the expected, not the unexpected.
On a more positive note, the ROVs and AUVs will become more capable and reliable as opti- mized production lines crank out more and more standardized vehicles. The inspection-class vehi- cles will also benefit as technology progresses, making them cheaper, more efficient, and having increased capability. Miniaturized systems are becoming available at a cost that may soon have them hanging near the checkout stations at the local marine supply store. An ROV for every yacht? Why not?
With all that is mind, what is missing? What must or will be developed? Here is a shopping list for the future:
• Telepresence: systems, both large and small, that put the operator in the environment through the use of stereo vision, audio feedback, and anthropomorphic manipulators.
• Electric manipulators and tools: for electric vehicle applications where the loss of energy by converting from electrical power format to hydraulics is not desired. Anthropomorphic design should also be considered when the operator is in the loop.
• Connector-less interfaces: for short-range data transfer and recharging of batteries. Whether inductive, optical, RF, or some other approach, they must be environmentally robust (i.e., corrosion, marine growth, hungry creatures, etc.) so they will work when the AUV shows up and needs to use them.
• Navigation: for operations in a cluttered environment such as an offshore structure. Whether through acoustics, RF, optics, preprogrammed knowledge, or a combination, future AUV inspections will need this technology.
• Sensor integration: the world is heading to 3D. The integration of 2D and 3D systems, whether optical or acoustic, will be required to efficiently present the data to the customer.
• Teamed USV/ROV/AUV: for operations where real-time feedback is necessary when using an AUV. A companion USV can provide the link when remote or large areas are being covered. For applications such as pipelay touchdown monitoring, having a USV deploying the ROV will remove the cost of the chase vessel and replace it with a smaller and less costly unmanned ROV deployment platform.
• Simulators: as we have seen in the training of ROV operators, training is critical to increase operational efficiency. And this is the case whether there is an operator directly in control or if
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