Page 76 - The ROV Manual - A User Guide for Remotely Operated Vehicles 2nd edition

64 CHAPTER 3 Design Theory and Standards
• Swim-out ROVs: Smaller free-swimming systems that launch from a larger ROV, AUV, or manned vehicle system.
Although this text covers many of the technologies associated with all underwater vehicles, the subject matter will focus on the free-swimming, surface-powered, teleoperated (or semi-autonomous) observation-class to mid-sized ROVs with submersible weights from the smallest of sizes to 2000 lb (907 kg).
3.3 Autonomy plus: “why the tether?”
In order to illustrate where ROVs fit into the world of technology, an aircraft analogy will be dis- cussed first and then the vehicle in its water environment.
Autonomy with regard to aerial vehicles runs the full gamut from man occupying the vehicle while operating it (e.g., a pilot sitting in the aircraft manipulating the controls for positive naviga- tion) to artificial intelligence on an unmanned aerial vehicle making unsupervised decisions on nav- igation and operation from start to finish (Figure 3.7). However, where the human sits (in the vehicle or on a separate platform) is irrelevant to the autonomy discussion, since it does not affect how the artificial brain (i.e., the controller) thinks and controls.
3.3.1 An aircraft analogy
To set the stage with an area most are familiar with, the control variations of an aircraft will be
defined as follows:
• Man in vehicle: Pilot sitting aboard the aircraft in seat manning controls.
• Man in vehicle with AutoPilot: Pilot sitting aboard aircraft in seat with AutoPilot controlling the
aircraft’s navigation (pilot supervising the systems).
• Man in remote location with teleoperation: Technician sitting in front of control console on the
ground (or another aerial platform) with RF link to the unmanned aircraft while the technician is manipulating the controls remotely.
Man in
FIGURE 3.7
Degrees of autonomy.
Man in remote location with tele- operation
Vehicle operating with artificial intelligence and full autonomy
Man in
vehicle with
vehicle AutoPilot