Nereus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nereus (Νηρεύς), in Greek mythology, was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia (the Earth), a Titan who (with Doris) fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea.[1]
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After four years of design and construction, Nereus took its first plunge in deeper waters during a test cruise in December 2007 off the Waianae coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The one-of-a-kind vehicle can operate either as an autonomous, free-swimming robot for wide-area surveys, or as a tethered vehicle for close-up investigation and sampling of seafloor rocks and organisms. Take an Interactive Tour of Nereus to learn more. (Photo by Robert Elder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) |
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Humans have been able to venture into just a tiny fraction of Earth’s deepest trenches at the bottom of the oceans—and then for only brief visits and at considerable expense. Expanding on these pioneering expeditions, scientists and engineers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have built a new efficient, multi-purpose “hybrid” vehicle that can explore and operate in the crushing pressures of the greatest ocean depths.
On its first mission, the new vehicle, called Nereus (rhymes with “serious”), explored the deepest part of the ocean, Challenger Deep—a nearly 7-mile-deep trench east of the Marianas Islands in the western Pacific. The trench extends farther below the sea surface than Mount Everest reaches into the sky. In the future, Nereus could also be used under ice-capped polar waters.
Why is Nereus called a "hybrid" ROV?
Nereus, an unmanned vehicle, operates in two complementary modes. It can swim freely as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey large areas of the depths, map the seafloor, and give scientists a broad overview. When Nereus locates something interesting, the vehicle’s support team can bring the vehicle back on board the ship and transforms it into a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tethered to the ship via a micro-thin, fiber-optic cable. Through this tether, Nereus can transmit high-quality, real-time video images and receive commands from skilled pilots on the ship to collect samples or conduct experiments with a manipulator arm.
How did Nereus get its name?
Nereus is a mythical Greek god with a fish tail and a man’s torso. The name was chosen in a nationwide contest open to junior high, high school, and college students.
High-tech components make Nereus smaller and lighter, enabling the vehicle to travel deeper for longer periods
- When operating in ROV mode, Nereus trails a hair-thin optical fiber, up to 25 miles in length, from a support ship. Like a high-speed Internet connection, the fiber can transmit high-quality video images to scientists on the ship. It also enablesNereus’s operators to have precise, interactive control of the vehicle.
- Nereus uses lightweight ceramic materials to provide buoyancy and shield electronics from intense seafloor pressure, replacing traditionally used (but heavier) metals and glass materials.
- To supply energy, Nereus carries rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs, similar to those powering laptop computers. Each pack contain more than 2,000 batteries.
Related Multimedia
Nereus AnimationLook under a virtual ocean to see how scientists use Nereus. As an autonomous underwater vehicle, it first maps and photographs the seafloor. Then it transforms and becomes a tethered, remotely operated vehicle capable of picking up biological samples with a manipulator arm.
» View Video (Quicktime)
Nereus SlideshowSee engineers building Nereus, testing and developing high-tech components, and taking the vehicle for test dives in Hawaii.
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