Introduction
ROV是非常有用的工具，有助于开展各种水下任务。他们帮助科学家解决了深海中最令人费解和最令人难忘的任务。他们能够前往海洋的一些最深，最黑暗的地区，帮助我们更好地了解那里的生活。因此，他们已经成为深海勘探世界的宝贵补充。

History
ROV stands forRemotelyOperatedVehicle. Many deep-water environments are too harsh for humans to directly work in. ROVs are often used to locate and document sites in deep-water where divers cannot reach. The first fully developed ROV,POODLE, was created by Dimitri Rebikoff in 1953. However, it was not until the United States Navy took an interest in ROVs that the technology really took off. In 1961 the US Navy created the Cable-Controlled Underwater Research Vehicle (CURV). Even thoughCURVwas used to recover lost sunken torpedoes, it paved the way for a brand new era in deep sea exploration. Following the success ofCURV, the US Navy continued to make advancements in the ROV industry. In 1974 only 20 ROVs were available, and 17 of them were government owned. By the end of 1982, there were 500, many of which were commercially owned; and by 1998 there were more than 3000 ROVs worldwide.¹

最好的方法之一可以一直使用d in underwater exploration is in maritime archaeology. Deep-water archaeology are investigations in water depths that are not accessible by divers. In these situations, scientists often rely on ROVs.²Marine archaeologists explore and study underwater sites like shipwrecks.³The ROVHerculeswas built for the Institute for Exploration (IFE). It was specifically designed to explore, study, and recover artifacts from ancient shipwrecks.Herculeswas used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2004 for an 11 day mapping and condition report of theTitanicwreck. It also supported an archaeological discovery in the Mediterranean sea. It helped locate and study the remains of different ancient maritime cultures.⁴

How It Works
ROVs are mobile robots designed for work in underwater environments.⁵They come in a variety of sizes from small to large based on their use. A simple description of an ROV is a camera mounted in a waterproof enclosure; it uses thrusters to move around and is attached, or tethered, to a cable to the surface which sends a video signal.⁶They usually have lights and cameras for taking videos and pictures. Many of them also have mechanical arms to lift, move, or grab objects. The tethered connection is what powers the ROV and allows the crew to control it from above the water. There are two classes of ROVs: the Observation-class, and the Work-class. The Observation-class ROV is better for taking pictures and recording video. The Work-class ROV is better equipped to deliver tools and perform more difficult task.⁷

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Endnotes

1. Robert D. Christ and Robert L. Wenli Sr.,The ROV Manual: A User Guide for Observation-Class Remotely Operated Vehicles(Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007), 5-6.
2. Fredrik Soreide,Ships from the Depths: Deepwater Archaeology(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2011), 6.
3. Soreide,Ships from the Depths, 6.
4. “Hercules(ROV) and Friends,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Accessed August 14, 2017, http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/subs/hercules/hercules.html.
5. “Underwater ROV (Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle),” Tech Target, Accessed August 14, 2017, http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/underwater-ROV-underwater-remotely-operated-vehicle.
6. Christ and Wenli, Sr.,The ROV Manual, 2.
7. Soreide,Ships from the Depths,13-17.

参考书目

Christ, D. Robert and Robert L. Wenli, Sr.The ROV Manual: A User Guide forObservation-Class Remotely Operated Vehicles.Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Hercules (ROV) and Friends.”Accessed August 14, 2017. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/subs/hercules/hercules.html.

Soreide, Frederik.Ships from the Depths: Deepwater Archaeology. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2011.

Tech Target. “Underwater ROV (Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle).” Accessed August 14, 2017. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/underwater-ROV-underwater-remotely-operated-vehicle.