4,000 m Configuration

Unlock all of ROPOS' capabilities

In its flagship configuration, ROPOS is a free-flying vehicle which uses an armored umbilical and is deployed through a crane-based Launch and Recovery System (LARS) that provides a safe and efficient deployment system for the vehicle.

Increased sea-state operations. The LARS uses a passive heave compensation mechanism and can be mounted at mid-ship where the effects of the ship's heave are greatly reduced. Provided the vessel can hold station, ROV operations can continue in sea states 5 to 6.1
Ship independent. With several mounting configuration and no need for a ship's A-frame, this system can be shipped and adapted to vessels all around the world. Moreover, this autonomy frees up deck equipment which allows the science party to perform other science ventures that could not have previously been possible with an ROV onboard.
4000 lb through-frame lift. This system allows the vehicle to be used to recover or deploy heavy packages to a depth of 4000 meters.2 This ability is unique to the ROPOS mid-depth system and has been successfully used to recover instruments weighing in excess of 2000 lb and is the backbone of the ROCLS sub-sea cable laying system.
Minimal ship's crew requirements. The LARS allows us to get close to the water and securely latch the vehicle without the use of tag-lines. Typically two members of the ship's deck crew are all that is required for launch and recovery.

LARS

Launch and Recovery System

Our self-contained craned based Launch and Recovery System (LARS) allows ROPOS to be launched without any A-frame or crane and to work in more severe weather conditions, up to sea state 6. With the LARS, ROPOS is launched over the side rather than the stern, placing the suspension point further forward and thus reducing the effect of vessel pitch. A docking head firmly secures ROPOS to the LARS before it is brought onboard greatly increasing safety and reducing deck crew requirements.

A-Frame

4000 m through an A-frame

On some ships, it may not be possible or practical to integrate our complete launch and recovery system. We can modify the 4000 m configuration to use the ship's A-frame. We have already built custom docking heads that bring many of the advantage of our LARS, such as the ability to securely latch the vehicle, to vessels such as the R/V Falkor and R/V Bigelow.


Tether Management

A 500 m work area

To give the ROV a work area of up to 250 m around vessel, up to 22 evenly spaced (2 m apart) “football” floats are attached to the umbilical to form a “catenary”. The image below shows the flexible work area achieved with the floats (depicted in green). Additionally, the “catenary” created by the floats decouples the ROV from the ship’s heave and helps with transits since the belly in the cable acts as a depressor.

Vessels

Flexible Configurations

Our team has the knowledge and experience to integrate the ROPOS systems to most offshore research vessels. All of our systems have modular designs which allow for flexible deployment scenarios with minimal to no required modifications. The table below lists the vessels that have already or can be fitted with our 4000 m configuration.

Mid-Depth Ready Vessels
LARS Compatible
  • CCGS Hudson
  • CCGS John P Tully
  • RV Thomas G Thompson
  • RV Atlantis
  • RV Ronald Brown
  • RV Roger Revelle
A-frame Compatible
  • RV Falkor
  • RV Sonne
  • RV Henry Bigelow

1. [The sea-state is dependent on many factors such as maximum operating depth and the support vessel used. Contact us for more information.]↩

2. [The through-frame lift capability of the system past 3000 m. will diminish according to the operating depth and sea-state requirements. Contact us for more information.]↩