Technical Characteristics, Operational Capabilities of Underwater Vehicles (ROVs)

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) play a key role in civil, industrial, and military maritime operations. This article presents the current technical characteristics and operational capabilities of ROVs, with a clear distinction between ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) and AUVs (autonomous vehicles). It discusses design classes, drive and sensor architecture, modern manipulators, 3D vision systems, and operator interfaces (HMI) with VR/AR elements. The application section indicates scenarios for use in offshore, infrastructure inspections, SAR operations, and military tasks. Directions for development are outlined: automation of operator support functions, use of AI algorithms for data analysis and motion stabilization, and standardization of operator training (including in Poland). Our own research was conducted among practitioners – unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators with experience in carrying out inspection and observation missions. Their opinions were used to assess the validity and potential of integrating ROV systems with UAV platforms in the context of increasing the effectiveness of observation and inspection activities.