Remotely Operated Vehicle Seirios
Remotely operated vehicle Seirios on the aft deck of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2018. Download larger version (jpg, 3.3 MB).
Seirios is one of two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Much like its namesake, Seirios acts as a brilliant source of light in the “night sky” of the ocean, providing illumination and a wide-angle view from above for its counterpart ROV, Deep Discoverer.
Referred to in the industry as a “camera sled,” Seirios is directly tethered via a cable to Okeanos Explorer and then is further tethered to Deep Discoverer. This cable provides power to the ROVs as well as a pathway for data transfer between the vehicles and the ship. This configuration allows Seirios to absorb the heave from the ship while keeping Deep Discoverer stable as it explores the ocean floor and gives ROV pilots from the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration on Okeanos Explorer an expanded view of Deep Discoverer and surrounding areas. This tandem robot configuration allows stunning imagery to be captured for an undisturbed look at the seafloor, literally shedding light on a location’s features and inhabitants.
Seirios is equipped with a scanning 360-degree sonar as well as a series of cameras, including one high-definition camera and several standard-definition cameras. Three rear-mounted LED light banks are aimed forward and down to illuminate Deep Discoverer from above. Seirios is also outfitted with a complement of sensors similar to those on Deep Discoverer that measure conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and more and help to better characterize each of the areas that are explored.
While Seirios usually isn’t the star of the show, it plays an invaluable role in allowing the dynamic duo of robots to explore the ocean together.
Submersible Namesake
Seirios is named after Sirius, the name for the brightest star in the night sky.
The team preps Seirios and Deep Discoverer for the first remotely operated vehicle dive of the Windows to the Deep 2018 expedition on a cloudy morning. Image courtesy of Art Howard, GFOE, Windows to the Deep 2018. Download larger version (jpg, 5.3 MB).
By illuminating Deep Discoverer from above, Seirios provides a broader perspective of things on the seafloor, such as this shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017. Download larger version (jpg, 312 KB).