MIT and The Sea: Pioneers in Ocean Exploration

From the world famous yacht designer N. G. Herreshoff (MIT Class of 1870) to cutting edge U. S. Navy ship designs, underwater vehicles and offshore technologies, MIT has educated many leaders in the vital field of ocean engineering. This exhibit explores MIT connections to underwater vehicle developments that have transformed naval operations, the offshore energy industry and ocean science. The exhibit features historic remotely operated underwater vehicles, an ROV simulator and interviews with pioneers in this field.

Museum patrons learn how to control an underwater robot with MIMIC, an ROV simulator.

 

U.S. Navy Beginnings of ROV Industry

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) were first successfully built and operated by the U. S. Navy in the 1960s to retrieve test torpedoes. The future success of this technology was assured following the retrieval of a lost H-bomb offshore of Spain in 1966 by a U. S. Navy ROV called CURV. In the early 1970s, the U. S. Navy commissioned a deep diving ROV called Advanced Maneuverable Underwater Viewing System (AMUVS) for top secret undersea missions. After delivery of this unique system to the Navy, the contractor , Hydro Products of San Diego, California built a similar ROV called RCV-125/225 for use by the offshore energy industry. These “Remotely Controlled Vehicles (RCVs)” were among the first commercial ROVs to start up what has become a billion dollar industry.

	AMUVS being tested with the tether management system (with Ron Walrod in foreground) Photo courtesy and copyright Ron Walrod.
	AMUVS close up view before delivery to U. S. Navy in 1974. Photo courtesy and copyright Ron Walrod.
	Hydro Products commercial version of AMUVS, RCV-225 with diver in testing tank. Photo courtesy and copyright Drew Michel.

 

Development of ROVs for Oceanographic Exploration

The principal engineer of the AMUVS project was Ron Walrod (MIT Class of 1970). Walrod also headed the commercialization of the RCV line of vehicles and went on to form ART, a company that designed and built advance autonomous underwater vehicles. In the early 1980s, Dr. Robert Ballard was starting up the Deep Submergence Laboratory (DSL) at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). A chief goal of DSL was to develop deep diving ROVs for scientific exploration. Few commercial ROVs at the time were rated for much more than a few thousand feet. With U. S. Navy backing and Ballard’s naval intelligence background he was able learn that AMUVS had been superceded and would be available for his use at DSL.

	AMUVS set up to operate off Alvin in 1985. Photo courtesy and copyright WHOI.
	A deep vent tube worm community. Photo courtesy and copyright WHOI.

 

AMUVS Joins WHOI’s Deep Submergence Lab

By 1985, Ballard had developed several new full ocean depth remote sensing systems with an exceptional ocean engineering team that included at least four engineers from MIT. The DSL engineers rebuilt AMUVS to operate from the manned submersible Alvin and had completed test dives in deep water off the west coast of Mexico on a tube worm community – the first ROV dive to one of these newly discovered ecosystems. Later that year, using towed remote sensing systems, Ballard and his DSL colleagues discovered Titanic. The earlier test dive with AMUVS established that substantial additional modifications would be required to operate AMUVS as required inside Titantic.

Titanium pressure housing designed for AMUVS and later used on Jason Junior. Photo courtesy and copyright Ron Walrod.

 

It was decided that an entirely new vehicle would be required. Jason Junior was designed and built at breakneck speed. Because speed was a key factor, the design team decided to modify the AMUVS titanium pressure housing (rated for 20,000 feet). The development pace was so fast that vehicle testing occurred during the first Titanic dives of 1986.

	ROV Jason Junior set up to operate off Alvin onboard WHOI’s RV Atlantis in 1986. Photo courtesy and copyright Chris von Alt and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
	Jason Junior operating in front of Alvin on the deck of Titanic in 1986. Photo courtesy and copyright Chris von Alt and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
	Jason Junior exploring interior spaces of the Titanic. Photo courtesy and copyright Chris von Alt and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

 

This unique exhibit was made possible because engineers from WHOI’s DSL involved with AMUVS and Jason Junior saved key original parts and images of these historic ROVs and worked with MIT Museum in 2007 to restore the vehicles to display condition. In addition to these rare examples of undersea technology, the stories of their creators and operators were generously contributed by many of the key pioneers of the ROV industry. The exhibit also provides a unique opportunity for the public to experience ROV operation on a simulator called MIMIC, provided by Oceaneering International , Inc., the largest maker and operator of ROVs in the world. Vistors will also learn about the latest WHOI DSL hyrid ROV Nereus that will begin its first deep ocean explorations in early 2009.