River and Lake Monitoring Through Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle

A novel low-cost underwater remotely operated vehicle (UROV) has been designed and developed to meet the demand for underwater explorations, bathymetry study and monitoring of rivers, lakes and wetlands from the prospective of research. The design of the UROV is made by considering three broad aspects of low cost, low weight, which can be customized according to various demands in terms of space allocation and sensor integration. Considering these aspects, the outer frame of the UROV is made of aluminium extrusion rods where the hull, battery module, four thrusters and buoyancy blocks are mounted. This frame can be easily assembled and dismantled. The hull of the UROV is made of industrial-grade PVC pipes where an acrylic slot is inserted inside the hull. This slot is housed with all the electronic components on both sides of it. The slot is then water-tight in the hull enclosure with gas foil rings and industrial adhesive. Various sensors such as temperature, pressure, sonar, GPS, camera with gimble and inertial measuring unit are integrated in the slots inside the hull to get the live video and sensor data while manoeuvring in the water bodies. The design of the UROV is made symmetric and neutrally buoyant. The developed UROV has been successfully tested several times acquiring live critical parameters from the lakes, the Brahmaputra River and other water bodies. Individuals and small-scale marine companies may find this UROV, to be a highly valuable resource for underwater explorations and bathymetry study.