Instrument: HROV Nereus

Nereus is an efficient, multi-purpose “hybrid” vehicle that can explore and operate in the crushing pressures of the greatest ocean depths. An unmanned vehicle, Nereus operates in two complementary modes. It can swim freely as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey large areas of the depths, map the seafloor, and give scientists a broad overview. When Nereus locates something interesting, the vehicle’s support team can bring the vehicle back on board the ship and transforms it into a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tethered to the ship via a micro-thin, fiber-optic cable. Through this tether, Nereus can transmit high-quality, real-time video images and receive commands from skilled pilots on the ship to collect samples or conduct experiments with a manipulator arm.

Technical specifications:

• Weight on land: 2,800 kg
• Payload capacity: 25 kg
• Maximum speed: 3 knots
• Batteries: rechargable lithium ion, 15 kilowatt hours in two pressure housings
• Thrusters: 2 fore and aft, 2 vertical, 1 lateral (ROV mode) 2 fore and aft, 1 vertical (AUV mode)
• Lights: variable output LED array, strobes
• Manipulator arm: Kraft TeleRobotics 7-function hydraulic manipulator
• Sonar: scanning sonar, forward look and profile, 675 KHz
• Sensors: magnetometer, CTD (to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth)

Nereus supports a variety of science operations: Push coring, measuring heat flow, geotechnical and geochemical sensing, rock sampling and drilling, biological sampling, water sampling, high resolution acoustic bathymetry, and optical still and video imagery.

More information is available from the operator site at URL.