A Novel Deep-sea Exploration Equipment: Combined Multisite Lander and Rover ROV System

Demand for deep-sea exploration equipment increased rapidly with the development of scientific research in recent years. A novel deep-sea equipment combined multisite lander and rover ROV (M&R) system was presented in this paper. M&R could perform fixed-position exploration as a traditional lander, and release the carried rover ROV to perform detailed observation or manipulation nearby, but also has the ability of working site transferring. The rover ROV can operate in floating mode, or crawling mode by assembling a crawling chassis. Real time communication was established by combining the technology of fiber optic and radio based on a buoy relay. The energy system was consisted of a high-specific-energy Mg/seawater battery and high-specific-power lithium ion battery. Deep-sea trials were conducted in the South China Sea, where the maximum working depth was 3252m, total movement distance reached 10.3km meanwhile accomplished 11 sites exploration in one deployment, and the bottom time was 10.8 hours. Scientific application was carried out, which showed a good performance and development prospect in deep-sea scientific exploration.