Baltimore PD uses VideoRay ROV to recover a missing body after two weeks of searching with divers. The ROV provided a quick, safe, and effective solution—the body was found within minutes with the underwater technology.
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VideoRay is proud to add The Directorate of Fisheries in Norway to our extensive list of worldwide customers. Thank you Buvi for the story!
Read more about our newest customer here!
Click here to read our feature in Sea Technology magazine regarding Oceanology and the Mission Specialist Series (MSS) Defender release.
A VideoRay Pro 4 was used in Chile to locate the body of a missing 21-year-old. On February 25, a friend of the victim reported them missing after they were swimming in a lagoon and the friend began to struggle and went under the water.
The GOPE Special Police Operations Group was called to the site to use their Pro 4 ROV to search and recover the missing person. The water had very low visibility, which caused the pilot, 1st Corporal Patricio Galaz, to rely on sonar to help find the body. The body was found with the ROV and retrieved by a pair of divers. Another successful mission for the VideoRay Pro 4 ROV in Chile.
ESPAÑOL
El día domingo 25 de febrero de 2018, ocurre la desaparición del joven chileno de iniciales M. A. C. A. de 21 años oriundo de la ciudad de Copiapó (región de Atacama) en el sector de “Tranque de la luz de Curauma” ubicado en la localidad de Placilla (región de Valparaíso).
Un amigo de la víctima, dio aviso a Carabineros de Chile de que M.A.C.A. en circunstancia de haber estado nadando en dicha laguna, que no está habilitada para el baño, se percata que su amigo, al mirar hacia atrás se estaba ahogando, si bien se intentó rescatar con ayuda de otras personas, nada se pudo hacer para sacarlo a flote. Es por esto que se solicitó por parte de la fiscalía que se constituyera el GOPE VALPO., el Grupo de Operaciones Policiales Especiales se presentó en el lugar, quienes para lograr un óptimo trabajo utilizaron un robot subacuático ROV PRO4 piloteado por el cabo 1º Patricio Galaz, debido a la escasa visibilidad en las profundidades, una de las características principales del ROV es que cuenta con un sonar que permite graficar el fondo de la laguna logrando así tener una panorámica de lugar optimizando el procedimiento, con el cual se logró el objetivo de localizar el cuerpo y posteriormente recuperarlo a través de una pareja de buzos.
With Defender production fully underway, VideoRay is producing and delivering the Mission Specialist Series ROVs at a rapidly increasing pace. The newest configuration, the Defender, has been delivered to Aquaculture, Research, Military, and Commercial customers. With multiple customers completing missions in various fields, we understand the importance of an efficient production process resulting in a quality product.
The Defender's robust features, versatile instruments and tools, sophisticated autonomous software, and powerful thruster configuration are proving that compact ROVs can do more challenging tasks than ever before.
The Defender has been the most successful new product launch in the history of ROVs and will only continue to improve from here.
Formed as an Engineering and Project Management Company in 2002, Proceanic diversified into underwater inspection services in 2013. Working with VideoRay technology to provide reliable and cost effective UWILDs and inspections of floating and fixed marine and offshore assets, Proceanic quickly established a recognized and trusted brand and now has a track record within the industry that is second to none.
Starting with the Pro 4 ROV technology, Proceanic developed procedures, integrated tools and most importantly, field experienced pilots, to provide Underwater Inspections In Lieu of Dry-dock (UWILDs), and Tank Internal Inspections and ultrasonic thickness gauging.
Although the Pro 4 is a proven, work-horse technology, it’s small size (a benefit in most applications) meant that offshore inspection and intervention became increasingly challenging as Proceanic (and Proceanic Clients) placed more arduous tooling and operational demands on the ROV.
Enter the Mission Specialist Series (MSS).
The Rozalia Project, an organization whose mission is to clean and protect the ocean from harmful debris, has a VideoRay Pro 4 named Hector the Collector. Equipped with a standard manipulator, BlueView sonar, Lynn video enhancement, and Smart Tether, Hector the Collector and the Rozalia Project are refreshing our ocean one piece of debris, one student and one solution at a time.
Founded by Rachael Miller and her husband, who share a passion for a clean ocean, the Rozalia Project does more than just remove trash from the ocean. The goal of this organization is to educate, research, prevent, and protect the marine ecosystem. The organization specifically targets urban and coastal waters and deploys their VideoRay ROV from shore, harbors, and their research vessel, American Promise.
The Rozalia Project’s discoveries have not only been used to educate our nation’s youth, they have also been used by researchers to help better understand the debris problem. Hector the Collector has helped demonstrate the amount of debris that is under the ocean’s surface, where people cannot see. The data that the VideoRay ROV has collected is adding to researchers’ data, making a big step forward in the overall mission for marine preservation.
Rachael has been a part of the VideoRay family for many years and in many ways. She used to lead tours on Lake Champlain with a VideoRay Explorer to view shipwrecks. When she founded the Rozalia Project, she knew that VideoRay needed to be a part of helping her achieve her goals. Rachael describes the ROV as “Incredibly reliable and low-maintenance,” which is perfect for her overall mission of cleaning up our oceans and protecting them from future harm. An experienced ROV pilot and trainer, Rachael uses her skills to give students and people of all ages a glimpse into the underwater world and help educate them on how to preserve the marine ecosystem.
VideoRay is proud to be a part of The Rozalia Project’s mission to clean and protect the ocean. We are glad to see our technology being utilized to improve the future of our world. The Rozalia Project is making waves in the industry with their research, education, and preservation efforts, and VideoRay is proud to list them as our featured user of the quarter and hope to continue assisting with the mission “for a clean ocean.”
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's Pro 4 ROV was used in a successful recovery effort in Crossville, TN. TWRA has used their VideoRay ROV for several searches for drowning or boat accident victims, including this notable Percy Priest Lake recovery.
Click here to read the full story!
We are proud to host the Dutch Navy for Basic Operator Training this week at our global headquarters in Pottstown, PA. The individuals gained an in-depth knowledge of our VideoRay ROV systems, including setup, operation, and basic piloting skills.
To see photos and hear about their experience, click here!
Interested in VideoRay training? Click here for more details and registration information.
VideoRay’s Pro 4 ROV, called “Rocky,” is in regular use inspecting Söder Mälarstrand, a quay in Sweden. This Pro 4 is equipped with both sonar and video cameras to provide a thorough and complete image of the underwater environment. Marie Fleetwood and Fredrik Fleetwood, the ROV pilots, work on behalf of the Port of Stockholm to inspect the quay for current issues and future maintenance work.
“The pools in this dock are over a hundred years old. Many parts are amazingly intact, but in some places, it is seen that there are problems,” says Fredrik Fleetwood, which is why the VideoRay Pro 4 ROV is being utilized for inspection. The technology “is in many cases both better and cheaper than sending down diver. The underwater drone can enter confined spaces and operate in hazardous areas,” says Mattias Sandell, Technical Manager at Stockholms Hamnar.
Read the full story here!
The McKean County Dive Team has added an ROV to their search and rescue team to help with efficiency and accuracy. The team completed VideoRay training early last week and is now prepared to operate the technology with precision.
Read the full story here!
A VideoRay Mission Specialist (MSS) was used from June 16 to June 23, 2017, in the Gulf of Mexico for a 2nd Intermediate UWILD Inspection on a DNV classified drill ship. The MSS ROV cleaned 62 sea chest grates in the machine room, engine room, and pump room over the course of 3 days. Paul Chittenden, Business Development Manager at Proceanic, explained that “cleaning time is basically cut in half” with the Mission Specialist, saving the customer valuable time and money. The MSS system was transported to the location by boat and deployed from the drill ship.
“High power in a small package…what more could you ask for? The MSS has greatly expanded the range of services we ever thought would be possible with a hand-launched mini-ROV,” stated Kyle Satula, Structural Engineering Manager at Proceanic.
While the days flying the MSS were mild—1-2 knot winds and 0-3 meter waves—the inspection was delayed by a tropical storm, taking 2 and a half days away from the mission.
Using cleaning tools from Cavidyne, the VideoRay Mission Specialist was able to get the job done and keep the customer satisfied despite the loss of time. Cavidyne technology quickly and safely removes fouling materials without disturbing varnish or anti-fouling coating, keeping the water free of heavy metals and contaminants.
Stutsman County conducted a precautionary search for a missing person with a VideoRay ROV on August 18, 2017. The VideoRay ROV located the car belonging to the missing man, and authorities were able to recover the body.
Click here to read more!
Photo: CsiNewsNow
VideoRay’s Mission Specialist (MSS) technology will be used offshore in Norway for inspections. This is the first year in which the inspections will be completed without support vessels, due to the capabilities of the MSS in conjunction with Stinger technology.
Click here to read more!
Photo: Stinger Technology
On June 17, 2017, the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) in Maryland responded to a call to assist with the search for a missing swimmer. The jurisdiction having authority requested assistance from HCDFRS’ Special Operations Team after reviewing operations from their previous water recovery on June 13, 2017, with their VideoRay ROV.
The ROV was deployed into the lake off a dock and conducted an all-sonar search. The body was quickly found and recovered using the manipulator arm. Because of the fast deployment, trained ROV operators, and enhanced capabilities of the VideoRay ROV, both this incident and the previous one on June 13 were quickly resolved before the arrival and deployment of SCUBA divers.
About VideoRay
VideoRay introduced its first ROV in 2000 and has since become the world’s largest volume producer of underwater ROVs. VideoRay underwater robots help prevent terrorism, find and retrieve objects, inspect infrastructure both inland and offshore, and keep divers safe from hazardous conditions. As VideoRay innovates with new designs and functions, our ROVs assist in increasingly challenging situations and environments, and owners have learned to trust them to perform in more demanding missions. The hallmark of VideoRay systems are ruggedness, reliability, portability, and easy customization with the widest range of sensors and tools available for observation class vehicles.
Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue (HCDFRS) used a VideoRay Pro 4 ROV to locate and recover the body of a drowning victim without divers on June 13, 2017. The HCDFRS team, consisting of VideoRay-certified operators, used a Pro 4 with sonar and a manipulator arm. The sonar technology was used to locate the body of the victim, about 150 feet from the shoreline, and the ROV grabbed the t-shirt of the victim and brought him to the surface. The whole process took only an hour, thanks to the efficiency and accuracy of the HCDFRS team. Howard County, Maryland, is prepared and experienced in the use of ROV technology to keep divers safe and recover the bodies of drowning victims to bring closure to families.
To read more about Howard County's training and success with their ROV, click here!
Additional News Coverage:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Swimmer-Missing-in-Rocky-George-Reservoir-428271273.html
New Program sees trends in Norwegian and Chilean Aquaculture trade-in customers
Today, VideoRay announced that another Deep Trekker unit has joined those from SeaBotix, and two other manufacturers in the VideoRay trade-up pool. While most of these units have been from SeaBotix, more Deep Trekker units are expected – particularly from Norway and Chile aquaculture companies.
“Customers are realizing that price and specs are not the most important factor in selecting tools for daily, demanding work. Customers simply cannot afford to have their systems go down,” said Chris Gibson. “Intuitive control and reliability are crucial, so long as basic capabilities are considered. VideoRay units last months without required maintenance, and most repairs are easy to do in the field. VideoRay’s support and design expertise keep our customers working – and we expect fleets of less capable vehicles like the Deep Trekker to be replaced with professional units in the next few months.”
Underwater robotic tool locates victim in poor visibility, provides forensic information, and keeps divers safe.
Jean Willie Mercier, 34, a Haitian worker for Césped del Valle in Limache, Chile, had been missing for hours when security camera footage of him walking near a lock with his dog was reviewed. After he entered a blind spot for the cameras, only the dog remained. Valparaiso-based special operations group GOPE was tasked with solving the mystery.
GOPE, led by used their VideoRay Pro 4 remotely operated vehicle, equipped with BlueView sonar, to review the 3-meter-deep locks to see if Mr. Mercier had fallen into the murky water. They soon located the victim using sonar, and captured still pictures and video for use by the Homicide Brigade in determining if foul play might be suspected.
Recovery of the remains was done by a GOPE diver, who followed the VideoRay tether to the body, which was illuminated by the robot’s lights.
Back in 2016, Santiago Gutiérrez of Diving Services, a retired navy diver and diving instructor, provided GOPE with a VideoRay Pro 4 with BlueView multibeam sonar, and manipulator. Since acquiring the unit, it has been very effective and reliable, working with its sonar unit in limited visibility to search for hours nonstop.
