The Triton underwater ROV project: An undergraduate approach to the design and construction of an ROV

In June 1998 a team of seven undergraduate engineers at Santa Clara University began the design and construction of Triton, an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Triton is the first of the EXtreme Environment Teleoperated Enhanced ROV (EXETER) series that will come out of the Santa Clara Remote Extreme Environment Mechanisms (SCREEM) lab. Because of the limited time and resources inherent in an undergraduate project, the Triton team has had to take a unique approach in the management and organization of the project. Working directly with Deep Ocean Engineering (DOE) in San Leandro, California, the team has leveraged DOE research with undergraduate student labor and management. Looking to DOE for components and systems with years of development time, the Triton team hopes to complete the ROV by the end of February 1999. Funding sources for the project include Santa Clara University’s Technology Leadership Committee; the National Undersea Research Program, West Coast; Polar Regions Undersea Research Center, and other independent sponsors such as materials suppliers.

This presentation will discuss the Triton ROV Project from conception to the present, in addition to future plans and applications for the vehicle. The team hopes to create an interactive atmosphere with audience questions and input.

Next: New microsensors and their use in marine research