System design of an ROV with manipulators and adaptive control of it

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with two manipulators and an underwater stereo camera is being developed in KRISO (Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering) for seabed working. This paper describes the preliminary design of the ROV. An underwater stereo camera has been developed to enhance the working efficiency of the ROV with the manipulator in seabed operation. This paper presents the operational principle and the structure of the underwater stereo camera. The stereo camera consists of two CCD cameras and horizontally moving base, and it is embedded in a small pressure canister for underwater application. This paper also evaluates the implementation of an adaptive controller to the tracking control of the ROV/manipulator system.