Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: jocoats@amoco.com (Jack Coats)
Subject: Re: uses for remote controlled subs (survey?)
Message-ID: <1994Jul15.125706.13270@amoco.com>
Sender: news@amoco.com
Reply-To: jocoats@amoco.com
Organization: Amoco Corportation
References: <3028ns$rfi@crl.crl.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 1994 12:57:06 CDT
Lines: 60

Interesting question... what would I do with a submersable...
(remember spelling does not count :)

I work for an Oil company, possibly make an underwater version of
a seismic truck.  The offshore seismic is rough at best, but placing 
seismometers, and signal sources on the ocean floor could help...
possibly even lay pipe, drill completely underwatter, no drill
ships or submersables needed even in 'deep water'.

Now on a lighter note... How about a 'Love Sub', go exotic places
under water... robot guided so you don't need an educated crew...

Dolphin or other ocean mammal tracking sub.  Could follow the beasts,
collect data about sea conditions as well as info on tagged animals,
and the 'on animal' radio transmitters would not need to be as powerful
and could last longer.  Could also track and log during 'not so good'
weather.

submersable inteligent 'turtle excluder' devices for shrimpers.  Let 
dolphins and turtles out of fisher/shrimper nets before the un-targeted
animals drown or are otherwise hurt.

semi-autonimous sea animal census takers... roam the ocean and track
what they find.  solar powered, but runs mostly submerged other than
when 'resting' or charging batteries or transmitting data (phoning home?),

make subs that could 'service' ships, even smaller ones, to do maintenance
without having to be put in a drydock.

sub-dredge - make a low profile machine, that would crawl on the bottom of dredged
cannals and keep the cannals dredged appropriately.  Wouldn't have to 
move/remove much at a time if it kept it dredged, instead of having to do
a massive underwatter earth moving project every few years.

Advertise it over the internet, put one of your subs in a large testing basin,
and when it is not needed for company use, leave it powered up, and accessable
to telnet into (or use www with mosaic or something) to allow 'rookies' to
control your sub, manipulate arms, and watch through the camera over the net.
I understand someone has set up a robot in their basement that they do this
with... 

set up small 'personal explorer' submersables at water parks that have
neat underwater formations (I didn't have in mind the bikini's, but that might
sell too ;), let the public sit in a 'visitor center', and
drive their submesables around the water park for some $/hr.  This would
be in the same places that offer tours in glass bottom boats.

Do the same as above off shore FLorida or other places to let folks look for
'sunken treasure'...

just some musings over lunch... Anything else?



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