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BotCam System Design

BotCam System Specifications

Key Features:

• Fully Automated - Camera On/Off, Record Start/Stop, Bait Release
• Ambient Light Recording to 350 meters
• Stereo-Video Images for High Precision/Accuracy Measurements
• Operational on Multiple Bottom Types Including Steep Slopes and High Rugosity
• Compact Design - Deploy and Recover from a Variety of Vessels Without the Need for Mechanical Systems
• All Systems Depth Rated to 500m

1. Frame:
   • Material - Aluminum
   • Size - 48" x 22" x 18"
   • Bait Arm - 48" Long
   • (1) Syntactic Foam Blocks *Incompressible Buoyancy
2. Cameras:
   • Navigator - Ultra Low Light Sensitivity
   • ½"CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) Sensor
   • 3.4 x 10-4 Lux Faceplate Sensitivity
   • Sensor Elements - 768 x 494 Pixels
   • Monochrome - Color Cameras Not Used Due to Filtering of Light at Target Depths (130 - 350 meters)
   • Manufacturer - Remote Ocean Systems (ROS)
3. Electronics:
   • Viperfish Deep - Video Capture, Storage and System Controls
   • Video Input - Composite, Video Output - Digital
   • Battery Life - ˜ 4 Hours Recording with 2 Cameras
   • Hard Drive - 80GB ˜ 20 Hours of Stereo-Video
   • Max Resolution - 720 x 486
   • Max Frame Rate - 30 Frames Per Second
   • Manufacturer - Deep Development Corporation
4. Temperature and Pressure Recorder:
   • SBE 39 - Independent Recording Device
   • Temperature
   • Pressure
   • Manufacturer - Seabird Electronics
5. Acoustic Release:
   • Oceano 500 - Shallow Water Release
   • 500 kg Static Load
   • 200 kg Release Load
   • 500 Meter Max. Depth
   • Manufacturer - Ixsea
6. Bait Release System:
   • (1) 1.7 L Niskin Bottle *Seals bait until programmed release
   • (2) SubSea Sonics Burn Wire *Controlled corrosion process releases strings on one side of bottle; surgical tubing pulls caps off, releasing bait.
   • (3) Burn Wire Relay (BWR) Sexton Photographics *Battery pack and relay switch. This unit receives a signal from the electronics unit allowing a current to flow to the burn wire.
7. Stereo-Video Sync (SVS) Device:
   • Independent Device Used to Synchronize Images in Time for Stereo-Video Measurements.
   • LED Lights Flash at Frame Rate of Cameras
   • Manufacturer: Sexton Photographics LLC
8. Surface Signature:
   • Surface Line - Floating 3/8" "Blue-Steel"
   • Surface Signature - "High Flyer" *18' Aluminum Pole, Flag, Radar Reflector, Orange Mooring Ball, Seimac Radio Beacon and Strobe
9. Auxiliary Can:
   • Temporary Component used to house industrial timer used to remotely turn the system on/off. A similar housing may be used in the future for external batteries.

Bait Release System. The top image shows the bait release container (1.7L Niskin Bottle) closed. The bottom image shows the bait release container immediately after opening. A mixture of ground-up squid and opelu (bait mixture) is shown exiting the container.

Schematic of BotCam deployed. A "High Flyer" is attached to a mooring ball to create a grappling line target for recovery. A line weight is used to remove wave action from the line acting on the BotCam. The unit can be recovered using an acoustic release or via line haul. *Note: Not to Scale.

The BotCam can be deployed and recovered from a wide variety of vessels. The top image shows the BotCam being recovered from the Wailoa (Cates International Charter), a 46' Australian Catamaran. The bottom image shows the BotCam being deployed from the 224' NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette.