SCIENCE
The Antikythera Reveals Its Secrets
Thanks to new tools and techniques, undersea explorers can uncover ever secrets from sunken vessels
27 July, 2016
The Antikythera shipwreck is nearly 2,000 years old, but for scientists returning to explore its secrets beneath the Aegean Sea, it is new technology that is leading to exciting treasures.
Forty years after Jacques Cousteau explored the wreckage in 1976, a new season of diving discovery is under way – this time, including an autonomous robot to assist researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
But one of the biggest developments in diving is the evolution of the dive suit itself. The science behind the "exosuit" is a key emerging trend in the global market, according to global research firm Technavio, and engineers at Nuytco Research in Canada are leading the way with a hard-metal suit that takes some of the best features available in robotics and integrates them into a wearable suit for professional dives.
But one of the biggest developments in diving is the evolution of the dive suit itself. The science behind the "exosuit" is a key emerging trend in the global market, according to global research firm Technavio, and engineers at Nuytco Research in Canada are leading the way with a hard-metal suit that takes some of the best features available in robotics and integrates them into a wearable suit for professional dives.
The Exosuit Atmospheric Diving System allows divers to descend to depths of 1,000 feet (305 meters) in a framed suit made of aluminium alloy – much like an underwater astronaut might – that remains flexible and mobile.
The company, known for the design and construction of submersibles and remotely operated vehicles, has worked for 40 years all over the world to provide resources to scientists, commercial divers, movie crews and others who need sophisticated underwater access. With the Exosuit Atmospheric Diving system (ADS), divers are breaking new ground at Antikythera, where the Woods Hole teams began using it in 2014, and across the globe.
The company, known for the design and construction of submersibles and remotely operated vehicles, has worked for 40 years all over the world to provide resources to scientists, commercial divers, movie crews and others who need sophisticated underwater access. With the Exosuit Atmospheric Diving system (ADS), divers are breaking new ground at Antikythera, where the Woods Hole teams began using it in 2014, and across the globe.
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Images: Wikipedia
It's not just that divers can safely go deep. They can now stay there for hours, without decompression on the way back up. At Antikythera, that means that within the first few weeks, the new team spent more hours on the bottom, exploring the wreck, than all the other previous missions combined ever achieved.
Apart from the protection of the lightweight frame and its ability to withstanding high pressures, divers in an Exosuit ADS are safely within an entire life support ecosystem that features redundant oxygen systems, a CO2 scrubber that lasts for 50 hours, a backup battery system and lung-powered backup scrubber. With 18 oil-filled rotary joints, the aluminium shell works with the diver for a full range of motion. Users with minimal training have the fine-motor dexterity for samples and other key tasks.
Apart from the protection of the lightweight frame and its ability to withstanding high pressures, divers in an Exosuit ADS are safely within an entire life support ecosystem that features redundant oxygen systems, a CO2 scrubber that lasts for 50 hours, a backup battery system and lung-powered backup scrubber. With 18 oil-filled rotary joints, the aluminium shell works with the diver for a full range of motion. Users with minimal training have the fine-motor dexterity for samples and other key tasks.
Image: Nuytco Research Ltd.
What's more, the thrusters and telemetry systems give the Exosuit ADS the kind of power and state-of-the-art technology you might well expect for the $600,000 pricetag. There are four 1.6 HP thrusters with an option for eight, all magnetically coupled for direct drive, with quick recovery and response times to keep divers in control. There's also a remote control option for the thrusters, lights and some tooling. The SONAR and high-definition camera are networked, with easy integration for IP and Power Over Ethernet (POE) devices, and the communication tools and tethering are similar to what astronauts rely on when taking a spacewalk.
The technology is opening new frontiers in oceanography, but the research at Nuytco delivers more than that. Earlier generations of the thruster systems were used when filming the blockbuster movie "Titanic" nearly 20 years ago, while educational products at the Vancouver Aquarium reach visitors who never dive with submersible demonstrations. Research scientists working for Greenpeace use Nuytco deep-sea technologies, and so do Australian and American military clients. Even a cure for cancer or spinal cord injury may lie beneath the sea – bioluminescent organisms hold some promise – and now scientists can get to them in their natural state. The Exosuit itself has led to spinoff research like the Prehensor arm, a robotic extension that mimics the motions of the user's hand, so watch for more diving discoveries too!
The technology is opening new frontiers in oceanography, but the research at Nuytco delivers more than that. Earlier generations of the thruster systems were used when filming the blockbuster movie "Titanic" nearly 20 years ago, while educational products at the Vancouver Aquarium reach visitors who never dive with submersible demonstrations. Research scientists working for Greenpeace use Nuytco deep-sea technologies, and so do Australian and American military clients. Even a cure for cancer or spinal cord injury may lie beneath the sea – bioluminescent organisms hold some promise – and now scientists can get to them in their natural state. The Exosuit itself has led to spinoff research like the Prehensor arm, a robotic extension that mimics the motions of the user's hand, so watch for more diving discoveries too!
Banner image: Nuytco Research