RP firm creates underwater inspection robot

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net THE REMOTELY Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV), better known as a submersible, has become the stuff of movies, ever since it was used in some scenes in "Titanic." It found a lot of applications in the underwater research, mining and salvaging sectors. One Filipino company aims to be a player in this industry. Pobletech Inc. recently released the Roboteknik i100, country's first commercial ROV, a robotic machine that can submerge to a depth of up to 100 meters and be guided via a remote control box. The ROV and control box are all connected via an umbilical cord that serves as both the power and data cable for the ROV, which transmits live streaming videos to a monitor on the control box. Here's a video I took of Michael Poblete, CEO of Pobletech, shows off the Roboteknik. Because the Roboteknik runs on external power, it could be operated for over 24 hours and only the operators have to take shifts. The ROV could also be outfitted with external attachments such as soil and water sample collectors; robotic arms; and special cameras. Meanwhile, the control unit has its own hard disk drive to save hundreds of hours of videos and photos. The Roboteknik i100 was designed and built by Pobletech's research arm Roboteknik Inc. The company is also a recipient of the Ayala-Technology Business Incubator at the University of the Philipppines-Diliman. Poblete told INQUIRER.net that the device can be used in offshore projects, particularly for oil and gas exploration. They have also offered their machine as part of the recovery efforts of the recent shipping disaster involving Sulpicio Lines' MV Princess of the Stars. "This machine can be made available anytime and be deployed easily. It's also less expensive to operate compared to the ROVs from other countries," Poblete said, adding that the cost of the machine varies depending on the project. Poblete said that they are currently developing a newer version of the Roboteknik that could dive as deep as 500 meters. The new Roboteknik will also be capable of more attachments for research purposes.