Homebuilt ROVs Forum

Hi all I’m posting this as a general vocabulary section so that anyone new (or not) can have easy access to the vocab of our hobby, and so we all can "speak the same language". Feel free to add to this section if i miss anything (and i know i will) and to make any corrections.

Homebuilt
Made at home or made by hand from parts that are not specifically manufactured for the applied use. I.e. bilge pump thrusters. Not a kit or fully assembled unit.

DIY
Do it yourself.

ROV
Remotely operated vehicle a robot that requires input from an operator.

AUV
An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a robot which travels underwater without requiring input from an operator.

Control tether
usually just referred to as the tether is a set or group of wires (i.e. cat5 Ethernet cable)that go from a control unit on the surface to the rov used to transmit control signals and or power.

Safety tether
a cable or rope used to retreive the rov incase of snagging or power falure. also used to lift the rov out of the water without putting stress on the control teather.

Topside
in the boat or on shore, on the surface.

Subside
Underwater or on the rov.

controller
can be an analog or digital control box, or a program in a computer, used to interact with the rov. they can be a single unit or several different units, that connects directly to the tether or to an interface box topside.

Manipulator
a movable or fixed arm with a grabbing device on the end allowing retrieval and or manipulation of objects subside. can be simple fixed claws that open and close to highly articulated multi-jointed arms

Thrusters
Motors that propel the rov/uav through the water.

Bilge pump
A motor in a sealed housing that is meant to pump water out of a boats hull. Bilge pumps are commonly used and or modified to be an rov/auv thruster by diy’ers

Brushed motor
A motor that has a set of brushes inside of it the make contact with the motor to make it function.(I know this is a very simple explanation).

Brushless motor
A motor that doesn’t use a brush set to operate the motor, instead it uses magnetic force to keep the motor functioning.

ESC
Electronic speed controller. Used with brushless motors

Potting
Placing a sensitive electrical device in a container and filling it with a waterproofing and sealing material such as epoxy, wax, or silicone so it can function underwater.

Ballast tanks
Hollow tanks that add or subtract buoyancy to a rov/auv. The tanks that have an adjustable system that allows them to be filled or emptied.(thanks Pilikia)


Buoyancy tanks
tanks that are perminantly filled with air to give + Buoyancy.(thanks Pilikia)

Ballast weights
Heavy objects such as lead weights that help to balance the buoyancy.

Buoyancy
How much the rov or tether wants to float or sink in the water. Buoyancy can be made negative and the rov will try to sink, positive and it will try to float, or neutral and it will hover in the water.

Floats
Any material that floats and is used to adjust the buoyancy of the rov or tether.

Dredge
A tool used to remove sediment and deposit it away from the worksite.

Newb
an individual who has no idea what the heck he's doing, but is still completely obsessed with ROVs. (thanks ImmatureAthlete
)

A very helpful list of words, if you don't mind I shall also add the classifications according to "Wikipedia.org".

Micro - A ROV that is extremelly small and weighs less or equal to 3KG.
Mini - A slightly bigger ROV weighing about 15KG and fully operationable by a single person.

(the following are ROVs that amateurs won't be building unless they have a very big bank account and their own factory)

General - Typically less than 5HP and a working depth of 1000meters.
Light Workclass - Typically less than 50HP and a working depth of less than 2000meters.
Heavy Workclass - Typically less than 220HP and work around 3500meters.
Trenching/Buriel - Over 200HP with a maximum depth of about 6000meters and the ability to carry heavy equipment.

good additions. thanks

i have to add

brick
loss of bouyency control in which your rov heads for the bottom like a brick.

bobber
loss of bouyency control in which your rov heads for the surface like a bobber.

i have had both happen .

I also have unfortunately had a "Brick"... let's just say it was a good job I had a safety line.

What is the word to describe an half-finished ROV sitting on a bench?

Work in progress?
Or with my ROV I would more call it, a giant lump of tangled wires and plastic pipe.

WIP it is then, sounds netter than GLTWP2...

What should we call a housing that contains most\all of your non-waterproof components like I'm planning for my ROV?
Main Housing? Hull? Main Hull?

One day someone will build an ROV with a real Ballast Tank. It will be an important advance. It will permit the ROV to both dive and surface without using thrusters. It will use pressurized air and water to manipulate the ROV's buoyancy. I think we should get out of the bad habit of calling our flotation tanks (or if you prefer, buoyancy tanks), "ballast tanks." It's just plain incorrect.

To understand this difference it will help to be clear about what "ballast" is:

bal·last [bal-uhst] (From Dictionary.com)
noun
1. Nautical . any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability.
2. Aeronautics . something heavy, as bags of sand, placed in the car of a balloon for control of altitude and, less often, of attitude, or placed in an aircraft to control the position of the center of gravity.

It is always something heavy. Originally, it was a pile of rocks in the hold of a sailing ship, so the wind in the sails couldn't tip her over.

Now, what is a ballast tank?

Ballast tank (From Wikipedia)

A ballast tank is a compartment within a boat, ship or other floating structure that holds water.

In submarines ballast tanks are used to allow the vessel to submerge, water being taken in to alter the vessel's buoyancy and allow the submarine to dive. When the submarine surfaces, water is blown out from the tanks using compressed air, and the vessel becomes positively buoyant again, allowing it to rise to the surface. A submarine may have several types of ballast tank: the main ballast tanks, which are the main tanks used for diving and surfacing, and trimming tanks, which are used to adjust the submarine's attitude (its 'trim') both on the surface and when underwater.

Please look at the attached illustrations. Notice the location of the ballast tanks. Notice they carry heavy stuff (water).

I know, it sounds cool to refer to our "ballast tanks." But the simple fact is nobody on this forum is building an ROV that has one!

[Edit 9/1/2011: I see my last sentence is incorrect: geoffkx250 is indeed designing a true "ballast tank," controlling the amount of ballast (water) using CO2 and solenoid valves. Kudos to geoffkx250!]

Final addition to your list of vocab:

Newb - an individual who has no idea what the heck he's doing, but is still completely obsessed with ROVs.

(personal experience speaking here)