News
Underwater Cave Exploration just got a whole lot easier thanks to NEMO
Cave diving is, per attempt, the single most dangerous sport on Earth. The men and women who take it on are regularly faced with cave-ins, blackouts, and panic-inducing conditions. On average, 20 cave divers a year don’t come back from a dive.
Corey Jaskolski has been working on a project which aims to give cave divers an additional tool they can use to keep safe while in pursuit of their passion.
Jaskolski is the President of Hydro Technologies and also serves as a National Geographic Innovation Fellow. Using 3D printing technology, he is currently working on the development of a remotely operated vehicle that can assist with the exploration of underwater caves.
Previous versions of UROVs needed to be powered from the surface and required 400-foot-long cables, each a half an inch in diameter and made of heavy, solid steel to reach down into the depths. The NEMO carries its power supply on board, and though still tethered, requires only a thin, fiber-optic cable of less than 4 lbs in total weight to connect to the surface.Working with engineering students from Colorado State University and additive manufacturing experts from Solid Concepts, Jaskolski’s team built an Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (UROV). The NEMO (Nautical Exploratory Modular Observer) was built using Fused Deposition Modeling and Selective Laser Sintering.
“There are great archeological teams unable to afford current UROVs,” said Jaskolski. “They can barely afford to travel out to these places for exploration. If we can make UROVs readily available, affordable, portable and easily replicable – and get them in the hands of the right people – then we will be able to make amazing discoveries in our lifetime.”
Jaskolski and his team knew they’d have to find a better way to build their dream UROV, so they turned to Solid Concepts.
“If everything had to be made by machining or molding without freedom to design one-off or two-offs, this would not have been possible,” he said. “It would have turned into months of machining and hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Using 3D printing technology, the NEMO took just a few weeks to design, 3D print and ready for testing.
Michael Hake was the lead engineer on the NEMO team at CSU, and he says the process resulted in an easy-to-assemble package which allows all servos and thrusters to connect directly to the NEMO’s outer shell. That meant fewer total parts and manual assembly steps are involved.
“You can easily remove the shell without losing parts and reassemble when you reach your destination,” Hake says.
And the NEMO is more than a pretty face. It’s built to comfortably withstand depths of more than 60 meters.
Hake says that analytic testing has indicated that the NEMO might well function down to 190 meters. He adds that the team designed NEMO to be small enough that a pair of hikers can carry it to a given location, and that it could operate for more than 90 minutes without interruption.
Source: 3dprint.com
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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