The VideoRay ROV

NPS Submerged Resources Center archeologist Matt Russell with the VideoRay ROV. NPS photo by Brett Seymour.

Because the wreck of USS Arizona is considered a war grave, long-standing policy prohibits divers from entering the interior of the ship itself. In addition the sunken battleship is, like all deteriorating wrecks, a potentially very dangerous place for even a skilled diver. Nevertheless, full study of the site requires some means of getting inside the ship to determine its condition and to record its state for reference in future studies. That's where remotely-operated vehicles, or ROVs, come in.

ROVs have revolutionized exploration of the underwater world, because they can go where people can't. In many cases ROVs are used in water too deep for divers to work safely, but they are also used in shallow-water locations where conditions are too cramped or dangerous for people. They're also perfect for situations like the wreck of Arizona, where other restrictions prohibit the use of human divers.

ROVs have been under development for many years, but they first caught the general public's attention during the discovery and exploration of the wreck of Titanic almost twenty years ago. That ship had been long assumed to be lost forever. The star of the 1986 expedition undoubtedly was Jason Junior, or JJ, that was able to enter the wreck and explore areas deep within the ship itself. As one of the project team members exclaimed after returning from a particularly successful session with JJ exploring the ship, "we went dancing in the ballroom!" But as impressive as that was, ROV technology has come a long way since then. Like most other technologies, ROVs have gotten smaller, more capable and less expensive over the last twenty years.

NPS Submerged Resources Center archeologist Matt Russell tends the VideoRay ROV enters a hatch on Arizona. NPS photo by Brett Seymour.

The VideoRay used by the National Park Service's Submerged Resources Center is a good example of the current generation of remotely-operated vehicles. It weighs in at just eight pounds (3.6kg), and packs easily into two hard-shell cases that can be carried in the trunk of an automobile. The ROV is rated to work at a depth of up to 300 feet (91m). The ROV is fitted with a high-resolution color video camera, halogen lights and sensors that allow it to hold its depth automatically.

NPS Archeologist Matt Russell and Bob Christ of VideoRay, LLC operate the VideoRay ROV inside USS Arizona.
NPS photo by Brett Seymour.