Jason
Gallery
Overview
WHOI's flagship 6,500 m science ROV, operated with its Medea companion vehicle by the U.S. National Deep Submergence Facility.
Jason is Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's deep-diving scientific ROV and one of the most productive research robots ever built. Run by the U.S. National Deep Submergence Facility, it works with the companion vehicle Medea: a roughly 7 km armored fiber-optic umbilical lowers Medea from the ship, which absorbs the ship's motion, and Jason hangs below on a 70 m neutrally buoyant tether. In this two-body mode Jason reaches 6,500 m; single-body operation is rated to 4,500 m. The 3.4 m vehicle weighs about five tonnes in air, has six 250-pound-thrust brushless thrusters, and carries manipulators, sampling tools, and cameras. Scientists use it to sample hydrothermal vents, collect rocks and organisms, survey shipwrecks, and service seafloor observatories.
Primary Roles
Notes
NDSF specifications: 6,500 m two-body or 4,500 m single-body depth, 3.4 m long, 2.4 m high, 2.2 m wide, about 4,990 kg in air, six 250 lbf brushless thrusters, 30 m/min descent, a 70 m neutrally buoyant tether to Medea and a ~7 km armored fiber-optic umbilical.
