The Ultimate Aquaculture Underwater Drone Package

Kiara Vallier | August 5th, 2016

Introducing the ideal aquaculture underwater drone package designed meet and exceed the needs of site managers - allowing for regular monitoring of stock and submerged infrastructure.

When President Sam Macdonald and Engineer Jeff Lotz started Deep Trekker they had no idea the impact the ROVs would have on fish farms around the globe. Initially building what was to be a simple exploration vehicle, they didn't realize that their tool would become the go-to farm monitoring tool for aquaculture operations spanning across the continents. When a Norwegian fish farm approached them in 2011 asking for an ROV to inspect nets, mooring lines and monitor fish behavior, Macdonald and Lotz realized that the aquaculture market was the perfect place for their systems.

_DSC0083(small) Regular inspections of nets, mooring lines, and cages help prevent fish escapes and ensure the integrity of the farm. Monitoring the feeding systems and fish behavior helps farm managers ensure that their stocks are healthy and on track to a successful harvest. Deep Trekker’s mini-ROVs offers farmers the opportunity to perform all of these inspection and monitoring tasks without the need to incur the high costs of hiring divers or limiting their view with static cameras. Read more about the top uses for mini-ROVs in aquaculture operations.

All Deep Trekker systems are completely portable, with everything you need to complete an inspection packed up in a single carrying case. The systems run on lithium batteries that offer users 6-8 hours of run time on a single 1.5-hour charge. The complete portability factor is just one of the features that sets Deep Trekker units apart from other underwater drones on the market. All other systems to date require some additional components such as generators, Wi-Fi towers, laptops, tablets and more. On a farm, lugging around a lot of equipment, especially generators, can be very risky. Often time’s farms have narrow walkways that make transporting multiple components difficult. In the case of generator leaks, the entire integrity of a stock can be compromised if anything seeps into the water where the fish reside. To read about what makes Deep Trekker the go-to ROV manufacturer for aquaculture follow this link.

Let us help you find the right ROV for your aquaculture operation

So you’ve read our blog, watched the videos, explored our website, followed us on twitter, but still not sure of what the right ROV for your farm is? We can help. We have put together the 'Ultimate Deep Trekker Aquaculture Package' based on our experiences speaking with industry professionals, listening to their needs and visiting their farms.

Click here to read about one farm’s experience with Deep Trekker ROVs.

The DTG2 Smart ROV: Depth rated to 150 meters, sporting our turbo thrusters and sensor package, the DTG2 Smart ROV is the perfect system to navigate around the farm and inspect submerged infrastructure. The sensors allow users to easily determine where the ROV is located once it is out of sight below the water. It is equipped with 75 meters of tether and a reel to manage it, a gamepad style controller with a super bright easy viewing screen, and carrying case.

Auxiliary Lights: We recommend this add-on option to all of our customers that plan to work in low light areas. There are many locations around a farm that are hidden from sunlight and are quite dark below the water. With additional LED lights that provide an extra 900 lumens, the auxiliary lights make monitoring your farm at any time of the day a breeze.

DVR: With our Digital Video Recorder you have the ability to record everything the ROV sees while below the water. Use the footage to document your best practices, record fish behavior, or even teach employees about the submerged activity on the farm.

Auxiliary Cameras: With additional cameras, you can easily switch between views while inspecting your nets and submerged Mort_Pusher_wAux-Cam_wCASE-300x230 infrastructure. Add a camera to face sideways and fly along the nets to gain a more accurate depiction of how they are holding up.

Mort Pusher: We have developed a system that can be added and removed from the ROV on site. Held in with simple pins, you can quickly attach the mort pusher when working with lift up systems and mortalities. The mort pusher is used to help push morts into the lift up systems that may have gotten stuck, or even bring a fish up to the service so diagnostic testing can be performed.

There you have it. The Ultimate Aquaculture ROV Package. Packages are customizable to best suit your farm needs. For more information or to request a quote call us at 1-519-342-3177 or email us at sales@deeptrekker.com today.