Outstanding among all the remotely operated vehicles (ROVs, the English acronym) used in the search for the Titan submarine was the Odysseus 6K robot, which searched the wreck near the wreck of the Titanic at a depth of 3.8 km found. The equipment weighs less than 1.7 tons and manages to reach a depth of 6 km, giving it its name. She was built by Pelagic Research Services and shown in the submerged finds last Thursday (22).
ROVs are widely used for installing and maintaining ocean observation systems, collecting biological and geological samples, photographing and filming the underwater world, and, in the case of OceanGate’s search for lost submersibles, reconnaissance and deepsea vehicle recovery. The robot’s name refers to Odysseus or Ulysses, the hero of Greek mythology who took part in the Trojan War and faced a 20year sea voyage to return to his home on the Hellenic island of Ithaca.
The Odysseus 6K is customizable and can be equipped depending on the intended use. It has articulated arms and biological chambers for seismometer samples, additional valves for submarine displacement and all kinds of hydraulic equipment. Additional sensors, fibers and increased energy capacity round out the robot’s capabilities.
How is the Odysseus 6K controlled?
A 20foot (6.10 m) containerized control room called the Odysseus Control Van houses the ROV operators, where highprecision video and data processing takes place. Scientists and expedition leaders are also on site and can show the pilots the path and dive required for underwater travel.
The robot can be launched from any type of ship without the need for launch and recovery equipment (LARS, abbreviation in English), and in the case of the search for Titan, it was protected by the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic.
The encounter with the rubble and the fate of the crew
The Odysseus 6K arrived in the rescue expeditions region at dawn last Thursday (22), submerged around 8 a.m. and hours later found the wreck of the OceanGate submersible. Also participating in the endeavor was the Victor 6000, a Canadian ROV protected by the French ship L’Atalante, which was using its 3D scanner to attempt to locate signs of Titan.
As one of OceanGate’s founders told BBC News, an instantaneous implosion would have struck the company’s carbon fiber craft, killing all five crew members instantly. The US Coast Guard reported finding a debris field near the wreck of the Titanic where underwater tourists were headed.
The victims are:
- Stockton Rush, submarine pilot and CEO of OceanGate;
- PaulHenry Nargeolet, former commander of the French Navy and an expert on the sinking of the Titanic, with several trips to the ship that sank in April 1912;
- Hamish Harding, British billionaire explorer;
- Shahzada Dawood, Pakistani businessman;
- Suleman Dawood, son of Shahzada.
Source: BBC 1, 2, Pelagic Research Services