ROVs for Government Agencies

The SeaLion utilises a six motor propulsion system; four horizontal thrusters and two vertical. This arrangement provides the power to operate in currents up to 3 knots and to "drag" extended lengths of umbilical in pipeline penetrations. Vertical thrusters mounted at an angle on the each side of the body give the ROV the possibility to rotate 360 degrees on its axis or to crab sideways across the bottom, a capability not found in many small ROVs. The SeaLion's color camera, assisted by four 100W halogen lights, produces high-resolution video images of the underwater environment with exceptional clarity.

To fit the varied requirements of military, law enforcement, and public safety agencies, the SeaLion is available with options which allow it to be tailored to the mission. Options for the system include a manipulator arm, metal detector, scanning sonar, crash cage, 1,000 foot depth rated housing, long umbilical lengths, and European format cameras.

Feedback from the agencies provides an example of the variety of functions these ROVs will serve. The SeaLion purchased by the Department of State was sent to a US Embassy on a Caribbean Island where it will assist the Coast Guard in inspecting vessels bound for US waters. The system purchased by Wyoming's EMA will help law enforcement agencies and public safety dive teams search for drowning victims, locate sunken vessels and submerged vehicles, and recover evidence that criminals dispose of in lakes and rives. The Navy's SeaLion will be used for the inspection of various ship's hulls from aircraft carriers to submarines, and to inspect other underwater structures at the facility. It will also be a tool to aid in base security.