Standoff Command and Control of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

Navatek proposes a USV that deploys a subsurface ROV and uses low-latency, secure, line-of-sight communications, called the Remotely Operated Minesweeping Surface and Subsurface (ROMSS) system. ROMSS streams AES-256 encrypted video and data at 4MBps back to a remote supervisor. A soft universal robotic capture and release system, on the rear of the USV, locks the ROV in place during transit. Optionally, ROMSS controls the launch, flight and recovery of a tethered aerial drone carrying an antenna for extended range (up to 25NM) line-of-sight communications. The ROMSS system will automate all the functions currently performed by ROV operators: deployment, navigation, retrieval, tether management, powering, and data transfer. Precise, real-time coordination is provided by a single semi-autonomous system that controls the USV position, tether tensioning, and ROV positioning with inputs from sensors on the USV, ROV, and in the tether itself. Risk of damage to the USV, ROV, and tether can be mitigated by developing a control system that provides an integrated simulation of all the subsystems, interactions, and the environment. With a scalable low-cost surface platform, deploying additional ROMSS are an affordable means of increasing the speed of minesweeping operations. Its modular architecture means it will be compatible with future ROVS.