ATSA provides specialised ROV support and services for systems including the Saab Double Eagle operated by the Royal Australian Navy.
"A rapid advance in the technology of peripheral equipment that substantially expands their capabilities is making the ROV a mandatory tool for underwater inspection," Seavision's Jenny Taylor said.
"Last year, a specially modified Seaeye Falcon DR ROV was used by underwater contractor ROV Downunder and the US company Seaview Systems as part of an inspection program for the Gold Coast desalination plant.
"Other ROVs are being used increasingly to carry out detailed inspection of tanks, water storages, bridge pilings, marinas and other coastal structures.
"Owners and managers of these installations clearly understand the safety, access and cost challenges if dive teams are used in what can be a potentially hazardous environment."
"Using the modified Falcon DR, we were able to send the ROV down the 70-metre intake and discharge shafts and penetrate 2.1 kilometres into the tunnels, complete close visual inspections of intake pumps and associated components, undertake a three camera general visual inspection of intake and discharge tunnels and profile 2.1 kilometres of the intake and discharge tunnels," ROV Downunder's Bill Bulloch said.
"The system's capabilities include anode inspection and testing, underwater ultrasonic thickness gauge technology, wire brush and pressure cleaning and leak detection through black-light and fluorometer detection.
"With the Falcon DR's 1000-metre depth rating, we can also take temperature and salinity measurements and sample sediment and marine growth on the sea bed."