Splash zone inspection robot

A splash zone inspection robot system, comprising:

• a. a station, comprising:
• i. a power distribution unit;
• ii. an umbilical spooler, comprising:
• 1. an umbilical operatively in communication with the power distribution unit and comprising an electric power conductor and a data conductor;
• 2. an umbilical motor;
• and
• 3. an umbilical spooler configured to receive the umbilical and operatively connected to the umbilical motor;
• and
• iii. a crane/winch operatively connected to the submersible saddle;
• and
• iv. a rope spooler, comprising:
• 1. a steel rope spool;
• 2. a steel rope operatively connected to the steel rope spool and to the crane/winch;
• and
• 3. a rope spool motor operatively connected to the steel rope spool;
• b. a submersible saddle operatively connected to the steel rope;
• c. a submersible robot operatively in communication with the station, its power distribution unit, and the umbilical, the submersible robot comprising:
• i. a predetermined set of thrusters;
• ii. a buoyancy tank configured to provide neutral weight to the submersible robot when the submersible robot is under water;
• iii. two controllable clamps separated at a distance along a predetermined axis of the submersible robot and adapted to selectively clamp the submersible robot to the submersible saddle and to separately selectively clamp the submersible robot to a structure;
• iv. a clamp actuator operatively in communication with the predetermined set of controllable clamps;
• v. a payload carrier configured to accept a payload;
• vi. a payload carrier actuator, comprising;
• 1. a vertically movable cantilever operatively in communication with the payload carrier and movable along a predetermined payload axis (549), the vertically movable cantilever defining a set of independent rotary axes about which the payload carrier may move;
• and
• 2. a payload carrier motor operative to move the vertically movable cantilever along with the payload carrier along the predetermined payload axis without using a rectilinear motion of the controllable clamps;
• vii. a predetermined set of tool aligners;
• and
• viii. a subsea umbilical termination assembly (S-UTA), the umbilical operatively connected to, and configured to terminate at, the S-UTA, the S-UTA operatively connected to the crane/winch;
• and
• d. a subsea robot controller operatively in communication with the submersible robot.