SMD Quasar WROV Dives 5.7km Deep

Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) announces that a deep-sea Quasar Work Class Remotely Operated Vehicle (WROV) has successfully completed sea trials.

The 6000-meters-rated WROV, complemented with an electric drive dual-purpose winch and launch and recovery system (LARS), reached the seabed at 5,760 meters during the trials.

The complete turnkey solution was recently delivered to Shanghai Salvage and has undergone extensive testing at various depths. The system was supplied with interchangeable winch drums which can be changed out on deck to achieve operational service at depths up to 3000m or 6000m when required.

By making use of electric motors powered via a Low Harmonic Variable Speed Drive application, rather than hydraulics, SMD were able to offer an environmentally friendly energy-efficient launch system.

Paul Davison, Managing Director of SMD’s Equipment business said:"This is a significant milestone for our WROV and deck technology. Reaching maximum operating depth during sea trials establishes the Quasar WROV as the most capable deep-water WROV in the market."

"Being able to operate at such depths opens up endless possibilities for the deep-sea salvage, survey and exploration markets and I am looking forward to watching this market continue to grow,” Paul said.