i, robot, can do that! lesson...

Focus Underwater Robotic Vehicles for Scientific Exploration

i MAXIMUM NUMBER OF STUDENTS GRADE LEVEL

7-8 (Physical Science/Life Science)

Focus QUESTION How can underwater robots be used to assist sci- i ROPOS entific explorations? i Remotely Operated Vehicle

LEARNING OBJECTIVES i Tiburon

scientific explorations.

Students will be able to discuss the advantages i In 1977, scientists in the deep-diving submersible . and disadvantages of using underwater robots in Alvin made the first visit to an oceanic spread-

scientific explorations.

MATERIALS . . Survey," one for each student group : these hot springs came to be known as hydro-

AUDIO/~ISUAL MATERIALS O (Optional) computers with internet access i mented in the world's ocean. 'these systems are

TEACHING TIME i the seafloor crust enters magmacontaining cham- One 45-minute class period, plus time for student : bers beneath a spreading ridge. Intense heat research

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grades 7-8 (Physical Science/Life Science) Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific exploration

of rock-like deposits. The hydrothermal fluid

These autotrophic bacteria are the base of a

Ridge and the chimneys looked so much like

Cracks in the seafloor can allow seawater to

between seawater and minerals in the rock [a i Atlantis Massif using a robotic vehicle known as

produce a large amount of heat that causes the i designed to conduct underwater surveys without fluids to rise and eventually vent at the surface a pilot or tether to a ship or submersible. In this


ter explorations.

LEARNING PROCEDURE 1 . To prepare for this lesson:

//oceanexplorer.nooo.gov/technology/subs/subs.html. perature sensors, depth recorder, magnetom- eter, sonar, wax core sampler, navigation

referenced above.

requires technicians and engineers for main- tenance, as well as data managers to retrieve information stored in computer memory

ment thi,s discussion.

lator arms that can be fitted with different sampling tools (stainless steel jaws, manipulator feedback sensors, rope cutters, snap hooks, core tubes]; variable-speed suction sampler and rotating sampling tray; sonar;

Science (ROPOS) General Purpose Remotely Operated

Vehicles (ROVs) RCV-150 Tiburon nated, range gated camera, and downward-

looking digital scanning sonar

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grades 7-8 (Physical Science/Life Science] Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific exploration

the depth and area of the research site and to create "mosaics"; sensors for measuring pressure, water temperature, oxygen concen- tration, and salinity

-control the ROV's movements

slightly buoyant in seawater

Vehicles (ROVs) are immersed in mineral oil, which does not Depth capability varies compress significantly under pressure

Linked to the ship by a group of cables

turns operating the vehicle

Watch leader makes sure that the scientific goals of the dive are being addressed; Pilot operates Hercules, controlling its thrusters, manipulator arms, and other functions; Engineer controls the winch that moves Argus up and down, as well as Argus' thrusters and other functions, and assists the Pilot; Navigator monitors the work being done and the relative positions of the vehicles and ship and communicates with the ship's crew to coordinate ship movements; Video and Data watch-standers record and document all the data that the vehicles send

risk to the subs and their pilots

only gathers video images

Designed primarily to study and recover arti- i Controlled from a special control room on facts from ancient shipwrecks


emergency and if entangled, try to free the sub with the radial cutter

bance to animals being observed

constant use of the thrusters

maximum depth of 3,000 meters. We are cores from the seafloor. particularly interested in geological forma-

tions, and want to collect rock cores and RCV- I 50 samples of biological organisms that may be

living on these formations. Tethered to support ship via a double [ROPOS and Tiburon can be fitted with a armored electro-optical umbilical rock-coring drill and biological sampling

inch cutoff wheel we want to survey other parts of the Atlantis Massif for similar vent communities. This will require a robot that can travel back and forth across the mountain, maintaining a distance of about 5 meters from the bottom, with continuous depth recordings and video images taken every 10 meters. [Several robots have the capability to do this

nies work, but ABE is best suited for this type of Much easier to launch and recover than a i survey since it can operate independently

while humans do other work.]

deep water coral reefs off the coast of fish in Hawai'i Florida (depth 500 - 700 m]. We need In the event of a submersible emergency video records of fish species in a variety

of habitats, particularly under coral ledges near the bottom. [RCV- 150 and some General Purpose ROVs could do this work. RCV- 150 has been used

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grades 7-8 (Physical Science/life Science] Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific exploration

to support Pisces operations, and would most likely be carried as part o f emergency

record images under ledges.] response equipment on support vessels.]

caves, approximately 300 meters deep. The entrances to some of these caves is only about 300 cm square. We need video

practical for this purpose? images of the interior of these caves to plan further explorations.

Vehicle would be most cost effective.] [General Purpose Remotely Operated Vehicles can be as small as a bread box, and could

[el Our expedition is studying the linkages provide the video images needed for this

(bottom] communities associated with a

chain of underwater volcanoes. We want to sample geological formations as well as biological communities, but won't know exactly what types of samples will be needed until we can see the area. Depths in our study area will be between 1,500 and 4,500

[ROPOS can be fitted with a wide variety o f observation tools that could give these scientists the flexibility they need to respond to new and unexpected discoveries]

water temperature around a newly erupt- ing underwater volcano, two miles below the surface of the ocean. We need samples

[Hercules was designed specifically for the taken every hour for a month. study o f ancient shipwrecks and recovery o f i [ABE is the only robot in the group capable of

autonomous operations and long-term moni- photographic surveys.]

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grades 7-8 (Physical Science/Life Science) oceanexplorer.noaa.gov Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific exploration

General Purpose ROVs could do this work. i RESOURCES This is an opportunity to discuss the advantag- h t ~ p : / / o ~ e a n e x p l o r e r . n o o a . g o v / e x p l o r ~ e l ~ o m e . h t m l es and disadvantages of the different systems. i - Web site for the 2005 Lost City expedi- You may want to ask what additional details i tion. about the mission would help in making the best choice.] i Bohm, H. and V. Jensen. 1998. Build Your Own

Programmable Lego Submersible: Project: 6. Briefly discuss the disadvantages of underwater i Sea Angel AUV (Autonomous Underwater

robots compared to submersibles. The major i Vehicle). Westcoost Words. 39 pages. drawback is that the human presence is lost, i and this makes visual surveys and evaluations i Bohm, H. 1997. Build your own underwater robot more difficult. Tethered robots also are con- and other wet projects. Westcoast Words. strained to some extent by their cabled connec- i 148 pages. tion to the support ship.

i ht1~://ww.oceanex~lorer.noaa.~ov/explorutions/O2fire/logs/ THE BRIDGE CONNECTION magicmountain/welcome.html - Virtual tour of

www.vims.edu/bridge/ - In the "Site Navigation" menu i Magic Mountain, a hydrothermal vent site on the lek, click "Ocean Science Topics," then t located on Explorer Ridge in the NE Pacific "Human Activities," then "Technology" for links to j Ocean, about 1 50 miles west of Vancouver resources about submersibles, ROVs, and other i Island, British Columbia, Canada. technologies used in underwater exploration.

i h~~~://ww.bio.~su.edu/hotvents - Virtual tour of h~drother- THE "ME" CONNECTION ma1 vent communities

Have students write a brief essay describing how i robots are (or may be] of personal benefit. i http://seawifs.gsfc.nuso.go~/OC~~~~P~~NET/HTML.ps~vents.htm~

- Links to many other Web sites with infor- CONNECTIONS TO OTHER SUBJECTS motion about hydrothermal vents

English/Language Arts, Life Science, Mathematics i i NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

EVALUATION i Content Standard A: Science As Inquiry Reports and discussions in Steps 4 and 5 provide i Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry opportunities for assessment. i Understandings about scientific inquiry

EXTENSIONS i Content Standard E: Science and Technology 1 . Have students visit http://oceanexplorer.nooo.gov/ i Abilities of technological design

explorations/05lostcit~/welcome.html to keep UP to Understandings about science and technology date with the latest Lost City Expedition dis- i coveries. i Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social

i Perspectives 2. Build your own underwater robot. See books i Science and technology in society

by Harry Bohm under "Resources." i Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science i Nature of science

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grades 7-8 (Physical Science/Life Science] Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific exploration

FOR MORE INFORMATION Paula Keener-Chavis, Director, Education Programs i NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration Hollings Marine Laboratory 33 1 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston SC 2941 2 i 843.762.881 8

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 'This lesson plan was produced by Mel Goodwin, i PhD, The Harmony Project, Charleston, SC L for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If reproducing this lesson, please i cite NOAA as the source, and provide the follow- i ing URL: http://oceunexplorer.nooo.gov

2005 Lost City Expedition - Grodes 7-8 [Physical Science/Life Science] oceanexplorer.noaa.gov Focus: Underwater robotic vehicles for scientific explorotion

Underwater Robot Capability Survey

Name of Robotic Vehicle -- --

Maximum Operating Depth ---

Tethered or Autonomous

Minimum Number of Crew Required for Operation

Tools

-- --

Special Capabilities or Advantages

Other Details

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