For the first time in the U.K., a remotely operated undersea robot has been used by the police to replace divers in unsafe areas. BBC News has the story.
The SeaBotix LBV remote operated vehicle has been used by Grampian Police before to search areas in Buckie harbour, Aberdeenshire, that were deemed to be unsafe for divers.
The equipment, valued at £20,000, is manufactured by Aberdeen based Cetrax Systems.
The remote vehicle is piloted from above the water and is fitted with a high-resolution colour camera and a mechanical arm strong enough to lift a human corpse.
A Cetrax spokesman said that high performance thrusters provide it with an "underwater helicopter type control" even in rough conditions.
Here is a small image of the pseudo-helicopter SeaBotix LBV next to a big fish (Credit: Cetrax Systems Ltd.).
[Note: This gallery contains many more images.]
Ananova has some extra details.
The submersible is similar to those used on North Sea oil platforms and can be used to seek out and bring bodies to the surface. It can operate in zero visibility and go underneath boats.
It is equipped with a light, two cameras and a mechanical arm strong enough to lift a human. It can also be set up within minutes and operate at a depth of 150 metres further than divers can go.
After putting it through months of rigorous testing, Grampian Police now plans to use the ROV, which is 48cm long, 35cm wide and 30cm tall, in future underwater searches in its force area.
In the future, the police wants to "attach a sonar device which will enable the robot to detect objects up to 80 metres away -- a distance which can take police divers several hours to cover."
Sources: BBC News, September 3, 2003; Ananova, September 3, 2003
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