KIEL, Germany, 3 August 2006. In 2007, the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel, Germany, has acquired a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system for marine research. The ROV system, built by the U.S. company Schilling Robotics, costs EUR 4.7 million (approximately $6 million USD).
Schilling Robotics, based in Davis, Calif., is a producer of remotely controlled underwater vehicles, and was the only applicant in this internationally advertised solicitation that met IFM-GEOMAR's technical requirements. The total investment of EUR 4.7 million will be provided by the Schleswig-Holstein-Fonds of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Professor Peter Herzig stated that the electric ROV system can be used in water up to 6,000 meters deep, allowing the vehicle to reach 90 percent of the ocean floor. The unmanned deep-sea robot, named Kiel 6000, will be equipped with two electro-hydraulic manipulators with advanced cameras and floodlights, as well as state-of-the-art navigation technology. The ROV system, which can be used in coastal areas as well as in the deep sea, will be equipped with a 6,500-meter fiber optic cable on a separate winch system.
The basic investment for the robot is approximately EUR 3.2 million. An additional EUR 1.5 million will be spent on the system's technical equipment, some of which will be delivered by companies in Schleswig-Holstein.
