ROV Hercules works in tandem with towsled Argus or
Atalanta to explore the deep sea. Hercules is equipped with
a high-definition video camera, LED lights, two manip-
ulator arms, and a variety of oceanographic sensors and
samplers. A suite of high-resolution mapping tools is avail-
able upon request. Hercules can deliver up to 113 kilogram
(250 pounds) of samples or tools to and from the seafloor.
GENERAL
DEPTH CAPABILITY. 4,000 meters (13,123 feet)
TETHER. 30–45 meters (98.4–147.6 feet), 20 millimeters
(0.79 inches) diameter, neutrally buoyant
SIZE. 3.9 meters long × 1.9 meters wide × 2.2 meters tall
(12.8 feet long × 6.2 feet wide × 7.2 feet tall)
MASS. ~ 2,500 kilograms (5,500 pounds) in air
PAYLOAD. Up to 113 kilograms (250 pounds)
MAXIMUM VEHICLE SPEED. 0.77 meters/second
(1.5 knots) forward, 0.25 meters/second (0.5 knots)
lateral, 0.5 meters/second (1 knot) vertical (on site,
within tether range)
MAXIMUM TRANSIT SPEED. 1 meter/second (2 knots),
no sampling, in layback mode
MAXIMUM ON-BOTTOM TRANSIT SPEED.
0.5 meters/second (1 knot), no sampling
MAXIMUM SAMPLING TRANSIT SPEED.
0.25 meters/second (0.5 knots) on flat seafloor,
<0.13 meters/second (<0.25 knots) over featured terrain
ROV CLOSED LOOP POSITION CONTROL. Station Keep,
X/Y step, Auto Depth, Auto Altitude, X/Y/Z step and hold
velocity control
DESCENT/ASCENT RATE. Range 30 meters/minute
(98.4 feet/minute) to 15 meters/minute (49.2 feet/minute),
or 20–22 meters/minute (65.6–7.2 feet/minute) average
PROPULSION
• Six hydraulic thrusters powered by 15 kilowatt
(20 horsepower), 207 bar (3,000 pounds power
square inch) hydraulic system
• Fore/Aft & Vertical – Four 27.94 centimeter (11 inch)
ducted thrusters, each providing 900 Newton
(200 pounds of force) thrust
• Lateral – Two 22.86 centimeter (9 inch) ducted thrusters,
each providing 450 Newton (100 pounds of force) thrust
VEHICLE SENSORS & NAVIGATION
SYSTEM. NavEst integrated navigation system solution
HEADING AND ATTITUDE
• Primary Heading – IXSEA Octans III north-seeking
fiberoptic gyrocompass (0.1° secant latitude accuracy
with 0.01° resolution)
• Secondary Heading – TCM2 solid state fluxgate compass
PRESSURE SENSOR. Paroscientific Digiquartz 8CB series
CTD. Sea-Bird FastCAT 49
OXYGEN OPTODE. Aanderaa 3830
TEMPERATURE PROBE. WHOI high-temperature probe
(0°–450°C, 0.1°C resolution)
DOPPLER NAVIGATION & ALTITUDE. RDI Workhorse
Navigator Doppler Velocity Log 600 kilohertz,
0.7–90 meter range (2.3–295.3 feet)
FORWARD-LOOKING SONARS
• Kongsberg Mesotech 1071 scanning sonar, tunable
from 400–1,000 kilohertz; range to 200 meter (656 feet)
at 450 kilohertz; range resolution up to 3.75 millimeter
(0.15 inch)
• TriTech Super SeaKing V7 scanning sonar, 325 and
675 kilohertz; range 0.4–300 meters (1.3–984 feet);
range resolution 0.015 meter (0.05 feet)
REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE HERCULES