Homebuilt ROVs Forum

should I use a dome instead of the flat plexiglass I was planning on?
I'm probably not going deeper than 75 feet.
why are domes sometimes used on Rovs with fixed cameras?
Is it just for strength?

thanks

Steve

The single biggest advantage is while moving your ROV through the water. A dome has better hydrodynamics and less drag. As far as the camera or image is concerned there isn't much of an advantage or disadvantage.

Dome's also allow pan/tilt cameras greater view. Basically, the camera can have 180 degrees of rotation, both vertically and horizontally, without the edges of the housing getting in the picture.

As you mention, a dome will also handle the pressure better.
If you are using a flat disk you can calculate whether the disk will hold (for a given diameter, thickness and depth) using this InstaCalc formula (in metric units – sorry, America).

(And you can read about the formulas used on my blog – I sure hope I got it right )

/Jens W.