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VideoRay Featured On The History Channel's MonsterQuest Series - December 30, 2008

GEERG Successfully Locates Greenland Sharks with VideoRay and BlueView multi-beam sonar

A GEERG expedition to Baie-Comeau, Qubec Canada recently used a VideoRay Pro 3 GTO equipped with a BlueView ProViewer P-900E High Definition imaging sonar to locate sharks in the murky waters of the St. Lawrence River. The expedition was documented by the History Channel for one episode of their popular series MonsterQuest. The episode is entitled “Jaws In Illinois” in reference to the possibility that these “monsters” are migrating into rivers close to where humans swim and dive.

Braving the frigid waters of the St. Lawrence were science divers Jeffrey Gallant, Director of GEERG – Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education & Research Group and Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark of the University of British Columbia, two of the leading experts on the subject in question, the Greenland Shark.

Along for the dive was the VideoRay ROV, piloted by VideoRay’s Brian Luzzi who was able to locate several specimens by sonar in an effort to reduce search time on scuba in the low visibility waters. The VideoRay was also used to locate and report the position of sharks in total darkness during a night dive.

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WHY VIDEORAY?

AFFORDABILITY

The VideoRay Scout starts at $5,995 (in the US) a cost quickly justified when compared to commercial dive missions or funding the purchase, mobilization, staffing, and operation of larger ROVs.

PORTABILITY

One person can transport the tiny 8-pound sub, control box and tether. The Scout system weighs less than 70 pounds and packs neatly in one rolling Pelican case. All other systems fit in two Pelican cases that can be transported in a car trunk or helicopter, or checked as airline baggage.

USABILITY

Driving the VideoRay is similar to operating a video game. A specially trained ROV pilot is not needed. (In fact, kids raised on video games routinely put adults to shame piloting VideoRay.). VideoRay is equally at home with a search and rescue team as it is with a yacht owner enjoying live views of a coral reef in St. Thomas. Additional controls on advanced models include front camera focus and tilt, rear camera selection and automatic depth holding (see the product detail pages for complete lists of features and capabilities of each model).

SAFETY

Since VideoRay uses less than 500 watts of power, a car or marine battery with inverter, small gasoline generator, or any 100-240 VAC outlet powers the control box and submersible. The current running through the tether to the submersible is a comparatively safe 48 VDC, rather than the possibly lethal 360-plus VDC used by other ROVs. This makes it safe for divers to handle the submersible in the water, and for kids to swim with it in a pool.

REACH

Standard tether lengths vary by model, but additional neutral, negative, and positively buoyant tethers can be added to extend the overall reach of the VideoRay up to 1,100 feet. Tethers are available in a variety of lengths to meet the needs of particular water conditions or projects.