8-Pound Swimming Sub Makes Diver-less Water Tank Inspections a Reality

Divers Stay on the Ground; Remote Control Sub Video Records Interior Condition and Gets Into Standpipes

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AWWA (American Water Works Association) Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 16, 2002 --
VideoRay LLC displayed today its remote-control submersible that is effective for inspecting potable water tanks – without the use of divers. About the size of a boot box, the VideoRay Inspection System includes a tiny remote controlled vehicle that swims through the tank and surveys the roof, seams, standpipes, and cables. The camera eye captures footage. Robotic grippers take samples of corrosion.

Priced under $16,000 USD, the VideoRay makes tank inspections safer, more affordable, and more frequent as it stretches budget dollars. The VideoRay is on display in booth # 2227 at the Annual Conference and Exposition in the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.

According to the AWWA, there are 400,000 steel and concrete water storage tanks in the US. Every year, 80,000 tank inspections come due, using the recommendations for an inspection every five years. In many towns, needed inspections are postponed for lack of funding for human divers. The VideoRay solves this problem by not requiring divers or expert ROV operators. To perform a tank inspection with the VideoRay, the inspector climbs the ladder and waits for the arrival of an 8-pound sub, with its light tether in tow. He doesn’t carry pounds of instrumentation, dive gear, and camera equipment. He lowers the small tethered submersible in the hatch by hand -- instead of squeezing in wearing a heavy sterile suit. On the ground, the operator runs the sub by remote control, seeing what it sees through the sub’s video eye.

VideoRay uses 300 watts of power from a car battery with inverter, small gasoline generator, or any 100-240 VAC outlet. The current running through the tether to the submersible is a safe 48 VDC, so the sub can be handled in the water. Anyone can learn to operate the VideoRay ROV; a professional pilot is not required.

The VideoRay runs from a small generator, a car battery, or a standard wall socket. The briefcase sized control box includes a joystick, heading and depth readings, and knobs for the 20-watt halogen lights and tilting and focusing the high-resolution camera. The operator sees readings for depth, time, positioning, and can equip the sub with optional scanning sonar, manipulators, acoustical positioning, hydrology sondes, and other instrumentation.

IMAGES: Please select and download images from the VideoRay photo gallery..

Contact VideoRay LLC • 400 Eagleview Blvd. • Exton, PA 19341 USA • Phone: (610) 458-3000 • FAX: (610) 458-3010 • www.videoray.com

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