182
The Last Resource
becomes an even more potent adversary. Any machine—versus-man
match is, therefore, likely to be closely contested.
One important factor holding back underwater machines is the
lack of standardization in current industrial effort. Should large—
scale exploitation be established, automatic and remote—controlled
devices are likely to play an increasing part, paralleling events on the
land. ln fact, developments in land—based industries might well
accelerate the invasion of the sea by the ‘robot’. Recent years have
witnessed a remarkable success by industrial robots—machines
which can perform repetitive or dangerous tasks with unfailing
accuracy. But these early models are crude in comparison with what
is already possible in terms of control engineering. The design of
more
sophisticated machines capable of mimicking the very
attributes which make the diver so useful could therefore originate
and be nanced by progress With industrial machines.
For the present, the most numerous underwater vehicles are
manned submersibles which are being used increasingly by research
scientists from geologists to physical oceanographers. Apart from
scientic applications, submersibles are employed by industry in a
variety of jobs including construction, repair work and salvage.
Some submersibles have been designed purely as ‘work boats’. The
Deep Diver, built by Perry Submarine to designs by Dr Link,
provides an interesting example of this new class of vehicle. Deep
Diver combines both diving bell and conventional submersible; it is
.
a ‘lock—out’ submersible. The ‘lock—out’ chamber can be pressurized
to match the surrounding sea before a diver exits from it. When the
diver re—enters, he can use the chamber to decompress or stay under
pressure for saturation diving. Meanwhile the pilot and observers in
a
separate chamber can remain at atmospheric pressure. Both
chambers can be ‘evened’ out so that men can transfer from one
chamber to the other. This ability to carry both working divers and
non—diving observers enables experts to visit the scene of operations
to direct or to advise the men working out in the sea.
Several British companies are now engaged in operating under—
water work boats. The Vickers Shipbuilding Group has modied a
stem trawler to act as a parent vessel for two Pisces submersibles.
The two machines, each costing about £300,000, will probably nd
most of their work among the North Sea oil companies but, with a
working depth of 3,000 feet, they are not limited to the continental
shelf. Another shipbuilding and engineering company, Cammell
The Last Resource
becomes an even more potent adversary. Any machine—versus-man
match is, therefore, likely to be closely contested.
One important factor holding back underwater machines is the
lack of standardization in current industrial effort. Should large—
scale exploitation be established, automatic and remote—controlled
devices are likely to play an increasing part, paralleling events on the
land. ln fact, developments in land—based industries might well
accelerate the invasion of the sea by the ‘robot’. Recent years have
witnessed a remarkable success by industrial robots—machines
which can perform repetitive or dangerous tasks with unfailing
accuracy. But these early models are crude in comparison with what
is already possible in terms of control engineering. The design of
more
sophisticated machines capable of mimicking the very
attributes which make the diver so useful could therefore originate
and be nanced by progress With industrial machines.
For the present, the most numerous underwater vehicles are
manned submersibles which are being used increasingly by research
scientists from geologists to physical oceanographers. Apart from
scientic applications, submersibles are employed by industry in a
variety of jobs including construction, repair work and salvage.
Some submersibles have been designed purely as ‘work boats’. The
Deep Diver, built by Perry Submarine to designs by Dr Link,
provides an interesting example of this new class of vehicle. Deep
Diver combines both diving bell and conventional submersible; it is
.
a ‘lock—out’ submersible. The ‘lock—out’ chamber can be pressurized
to match the surrounding sea before a diver exits from it. When the
diver re—enters, he can use the chamber to decompress or stay under
pressure for saturation diving. Meanwhile the pilot and observers in
a
separate chamber can remain at atmospheric pressure. Both
chambers can be ‘evened’ out so that men can transfer from one
chamber to the other. This ability to carry both working divers and
non—diving observers enables experts to visit the scene of operations
to direct or to advise the men working out in the sea.
Several British companies are now engaged in operating under—
water work boats. The Vickers Shipbuilding Group has modied a
stem trawler to act as a parent vessel for two Pisces submersibles.
The two machines, each costing about £300,000, will probably nd
most of their work among the North Sea oil companies but, with a
working depth of 3,000 feet, they are not limited to the continental
shelf. Another shipbuilding and engineering company, Cammell