Nereus, hybrid unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

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Developer - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

whoi.edu/oceanrobots/robots/nereus-phone.html

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Nereus on Wikipedia

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Article "Robot sub aims for deepest ocean"

by Jonathan Fildes
May 6, 2009

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Underwater vehicle Nereus

Uploaded on Jun 30, 2009

Nereus is the first vehicle to enable routine scientific investigation to the deepest ocean depths worldwide. Recently, Nereus successfully reached the deepest part of the worlds ocean--the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean.

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Mariana Trench: HROV Nereus samples the Challenger Deep seafloor

Uploaded on Aug 25, 2009

Date: May 31, 2009. Depth: 10,006 meters (6.2 miles). A WHOI-led team successfully brought the newly-built Hybrid Remotely Operated Vehicle (HROV) Nereus to the deepest part of the world's ocean—the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean. The dive makes the unmanned Nereus the world's deepest-diving vehicle and the first vehicle to explore the Mariana Trench since 1998.

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euronews hi-tech - Robots reveal Titanic secrets

Published on Apr 19, 2012

The wreck of the Titanic lay undisturbed for 73 years, at depths of up to 12,000 feet under water. It was discovered in 1985, by a team of American and French researchers using a newly-developed ultra-sensitive sonar system, combined with advanced acoustic technology.

The sinking of the Titanic has a macabre fascination for scientists and the public alike and researchers have been exploring the wreck since 1985.

In 1986 a small underwater robot named Jason Junior or "JJ" produced the first images of the ship on the ocean floor. JJ was tethered to a manned submersible, nicknamed Alvin, hovering just metres away. But now with advanced communications and guidance systems, a new generation of vehicles is able to dive deeper, and remain submerged for longer.

Much of this new technology was developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

The latest is Nereus, which can operate as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) or a robot.

Nereus can collect samples or conduct experiments using its robotic manipulator arm. It works on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, similar to those used in cell phones and laptop computers. Battery life is around 20 hours and it takes six hours to recharge.

Using computer programme systems designed for flying drones and modifying other computer programmes, Bowen's team helped introduce robotic guidance controls to undersea exploration. The connection for commands and information flow is a light, flexible fibre optic cable.

Scientists can control the Nereus from hundreds of kilometres away as it carries out forensic activities, along with mapping the sea floor and prospecting for oil and minerals.

Robert Ballard, a former United States naval officer, is credited with discovering the wrecks of the Titanic and the battleship Bismarck.

He said things have changed dramatically since he started: "I don't even have to be on a ship now. I now have a telecommunications centre at the Graduate School of Oceanography at Rhode Island. And, I have a command centre, and I walk into that command centre and I think I'm on the ship."

These new technologies are less expensive, and more efficient than the old ones. One hundred years after the unsinkable Titanic struck an iceberg, the wreck is still revealing her secrets.

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Article "Ocean-diving robot Nereus will not be replaced"
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will spend insurance money for destroyed vehicle on lower-risk projects.

by Daniel Cressey
December 9, 2015