Marine & underwater robots
Inspection ROV (underwater drone)
A tethered underwater robot with cameras and lights, piloted from the surface, for hulls, dams, tanks, fish farms and search.
Good at
Looking underwater without divers for routine inspection.
Watch out for
Currents and visibility limit what you can see; the tether is both lifeline and leash.
Specs that matter for this type
- Depth rating
- Runtime / flight time
- Top speed
- Weight
- Tether / cable length
- Sensors
- Payload
Jobs it does
Usually the main robot for
- Hull & underwater inspection (ROV)
- Dock, pier & bridge pile inspection
- Potable water tank inspection
- Underwater search & recovery
- Propeller polishing
- Offshore wind subsea services
- Underwater filming
Also used for
Models we've catalogued
How to read this. Specs come from each maker's own spec page or datasheet, with the link and the date we checked it. Blank means the maker doesn't publish it (or we haven't found it). Scores are a whirrwork assessment, not a lab test: we only score a model when independent trials or tests exist. Methodology.
| Model | Depth rating | Top speed | Weight | Tether / cable length | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Robotics BlueROV2 Blue Robotics | 300 m | 1.5 m/s | 10.9 to 12.2 kg | 300 m | Not enough evidence to rate |
| Deep Trekker DTG3 Deep Trekker | 200 m | – | – | 700 m | Not enough evidence to rate |
Also called: ROV, inspection ROV, underwater drone.