SeaDrone has announced the SeaDrone MINI, the latest in their line of single-man portable subsea ROVs. The SeaDrone MINI is a professional ROV for users of all experience levels. Realize major productivity gains with a system you can carry and deploy in minutes. Maximize your uptime with easy-to-service modular components. Dive fast using SeaDrone's Top Gun mode and operate in 3 knot cross-current. The MINI's control system actively stabilizes the vehicle and allows you to capture crisp and stable footage. It's the perfect general-purpose ROV to operate beyond the reach of divers.
First responder teams performing search and rescue missions can easily and quickly deploy the MINI in any environment. The MINI carries on the slim eight-thruster design from the SeaDrone XROV to a smaller, lighter platform starting at 16 kg (35 lbs). The MINI is powered by four 96-Wh batteries and is compatible with airline transport. An optional 400-W hybrid surface power system can extend the robot's mission duration indefinitely.
The base MINI robot includes a wide-angle video camera capable of 12 megapixel stills and 1080/30p H.264 video. Depth and AHRS sensors support automatic control of depth, heading, roll, and pitch in all control modes. An integrated GPS allows geotagging of photos, videos, and saved landmarks.
The MINI can be outfitted with many optional sensors and add-ons for improved navigation, data capture, and object manipulation. An optional gripper system works in conjunction with the robot's six-axis control to grab, manipulate, and recover underwater objects. DVL and USBL attachments are available to enable underwater localization and semi-autonomous operation. Scanning, side-scan, and multibeam imaging sonars are available for better situational awareness and data collection in turbid waters.
A 300-m thin tether controls the MINI from the surface using the SeaDrone Control PRO app. The SeaDrone Control PRO app is available on the iOS App Store for any current iPad. Control the robot using intuitive on-screen touch controls or with a third-party game controller. The SeaDrone Control PRO app supports many features to increase productivity in the field.