It’s not remotely operated, so you can’t really call it an ROV, but the guys over at engadget.com and divester have posted stories about this nifty little 99$ creation last week, and I think it’s pretty cool. Apparently it was made for under $100 in just two weeks. It has two cameras, an IR illuminator, some cleverly bent PVC pipe, one heck-of-a-lot of zip ties, a glow stick, and a 100 foot tether by which it receives power, and sends a video feed to the surface. I especially like the clamps that hold the camera housing together.
They didn’t mention the depth rating, but assuming that the tether could be extended, and the housing could take the pressure in deeper waters, this might really be a great technical diving tool for finding wrecks, and attaching decent lines to them. Of course the lack of thrusters would be problematic for working in waters with current, but I can think of one primed-to-dive wreck in Lake Tahoe that sits in 400 feet of water with no line on it that this baby might just be able to lend a hand with. Can you say S.S. Tahoe?
I’m actually thinking about making one of these for myself. If I do, here is a list of things that I would add to it:
- Two Sartek HID Underwater video lights
- An arm for attaching lines to underwater wrecks
- A longer tether (400 Feet)
- A stronger lexan housing if needed
I guess I’m pushing the price point up a little over the $99 mark, but what why not? I can use the lights on my video camera (when I get one), and I might just hook onto a nice shipwreck.
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