Multipluto

Multipluto ROV

MULTIPLUTO: VERY DEEP DIVING PORTABLE  ROV,
for scientific missions, ocean floor imaging, light work and much more.

MULTIPLUTO is a new remote operated vehicle (ROV), it is a battery powered underwater robot capable of 2000/4000 metres depth.
MULTIPLUTO is by far the world smallest ROV rated to 4000 m depth.
The system is so compact, lightweight and portable to be suitable for ocean floor inspections deploying even from a rubber dinghy. This means that the entire system is transportable in the trunk of an average size car, it can be loaded aboard any kind of a ship by hand (not needing any lifting gear), it does not require any fixed on board  installation thus offering unbelievable readiness and operational performance for visual inspection and light manipulation activities.
MULTIPLUTO is particularly suitable for scientific research in the fields of biology, geology, oceanology, sampling, archaeology, wreck inspection, object recovery.
MULTIPLUTO is the ideal instrument for spot interventions in very deep missions for industrial, governmental, law enforcement, search and rescue and more...

MAIN FEATURES  
easy launching - recovery vehicle so small weighing only 60 kg
fast descent (1000 m in 20 minutes) using a disposable ballast
optical umbilical cable very thin, durable, reusable, buoyant, strong

operation  mode 1: eyeball vehicle hanging on the umbilical cable, yawing and moving horizontally by remotely operated propulsion and adjusting depth by acting on umbilical cable pay out or take up
operation mode 2: following ballast release, the vehicle acquires full ROV manoeuvrability in the water volume, taking advantage of the low drag umbilical cable only 3.5 mm diameter and slightly floatable so that it always sets above the vehicle

“swan head”, multisensory head capable of pan, tilt and articulated neck elevation, allowing swan like all round views
battery powered vehicle allows 8 hours average inspection time
fast return to surface (1000 m in 20 minutes) and easy recovery
wide range of sensors and options including manipulator arms, fish traps, sediment and soil sampling tools, laser gauge, and more…

PILOT CONSOLE
Flat screen for video image and overlay of navigation data, alarms, system information, sonar displays.
Two joysticks for manual vehicle driving, one lever for cable control, acoustic beeper to warn the pilot of the cable unrolling or winding up. Pushbuttons and toggles to control other functions.
The pilot can choose Manual steering acting on two joysticks or to select one or more automatic controls: depth, course and speed. In this case joysticks are used to set desired automatic values and pilot hands are free. An optional computer can take full control for true robotic missions.
DIMENSIONS: (H-W-L) mm 110 - 280 - 246
WEIGHT: 5 kg
POWER: 24 VDC – 80 W

VEHICLE
The main body is an assembly of six carbon fibres pressure resistant cylinders, four of them housing high power batteries, the other two cylinders are packing the electronics.
No floatation foam is used.

The “SWAN head”, a very small head movable to look all around and supported by a long articulated neck is an extremely flexible sensor package combining full High Definition TV camcorder with integral 20 Megapixel still camera and corrected viewport, a relocation-navigation sonar, LED floodlight and a laser gauge.

The propulsion is based on 4 pressure compensated brushless motors in a typical PLUTO configuration, two horizontal thrusters for forward-reverse and yawing movements plus two vertical vectored thrusters for up-down and side shift. No silt is being lifted by propellers.

DIMENSIONS: (H-W-L) mm 780 – 600 – 980
WEIGHT in air: 58 kg
WEIGHT in water: +0.5 kg as a full mobility ROV or -10 kg ballasted for descent and hanging eyeball
SPEED: forward 3 knots, reverse 2 kn, down 2 kn, up1 kn on motors, 2 kn by pulling umbilical up Automatic controls on depth, course and speed
SWAN head tilt +90°-80° – pan 360° – elevation 50 cm
SENSORS:
-TV camera: high performance HD full high definition camcorder AVCHD recording format on internal flash memory up to 6 hours remote operated on focus-zoom-rec-shoot navigation data spoken and recorded on audio track, video image on surface console recordable with overlay data
-Still camera: 20 megapixels remote operated
-Illumination: LED (high intensity floodlight) 4500 Lumen + optional up to 45,000 Lumen

Search and navigation sonar: 200 kHz 8°beamwidth aimed to the centre of the TV screen, ranges 120m-60m-30m, fast A-scan display for blind instrumental navigation and generating 90° wide sector maps with true compass bearing references and distances for target relocation, all sonar data are displayed on the single console screen for pilot comfort.
OTHER: Responder for underwater positioning and tracking, 2000 m slant range, compass, inclinometer, depth transducer, inertial unit.

BATTERY CHARGER
Power converter used to recharge the vehicle batteries and as power source to the cable management drum and to the pilot console in case a 24 VDC line is not available aboard.
POWER: input 100 – 240 VAC max 1600 W.
DIMENSIONS: (H-W-L) mm 330 – 300 – 450
WEIGHT: < 30 kg

CABLE MANAGEMENT DRUM
Powered drum with 2000 m of fibre optical cable,3.5 mm diameter, reinforced to 200 kg breaking strength and slightly floatable. (optional version with 4000 m) The automatic control of pulling force is adjustable from 0 to 15 kg, control can be local or from the pilot console. Metres counter of cable out.
Voice communication to the console.

DIMENSIONS: (H-W-L) mm 660 – 500 – 600
WEIGHT: 60 kg
POWER: 24 VDC – 1000 W