Flipper type crawler system for running on the irregular seafloor

Abstract

Flipper type crawler system gives advantages when running on the irregular seafloor and when working on the seafloor. We developed a small size ROV (remotely operated vehicle) equipped with the flipper type crawler systems and conducted the experiments using it in a water tank and on the seafloor to observe its advantages. In the experiments in the water tank, the ROV was tested to run on the tilting table changing an angle and also to run over bumps nailed onto the top board of the tilting table. In the experiments on the seafloor, the ROV could evacuate from the condition that the crawler system was slightly submerged in the sand. Also the ROV could run and climb up the bumps. This paper describes the developed flipper type crawler systems and its advantages by describing the results of the experiments in the water tank and on the seafloor.