For the past month, my beloved van has been parked in a garage waiting for my return from sea. I was busy being an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Engineering Intern during expedition NA181 around Wake Atoll. During our 32 days at sea, starting in Guam and ending in Hawaii, I helped maintain and pilot ROVs Atalanta, Little Hercules, and Hercules.
I learned a ton about the systems that let a robot do science six kilometers underwater, from oil filled junction boxes to hydraulic arms to ship navigation and movement. I also met some really cool scientists, engineers, and technicians, and got to learn some of their stories and paths. It was a fantastic way to spend a month.
During the second Hercules dive of the expedition, I got to use the arm to collect a rock. This was very exciting, so at the surface I got to take some pictures with it and then cut it open to see what was inside the ferromanganese crust.
Me holding the first rock I collected from the seafloor using hydraulic arm next to me. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
Me cutting my rock open using the rock saw. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
Me holding my first rock after cutting it open. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
I did not lick the rock. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust
Most of my time in the control van was spent in the copilot seat, managing ROV Atalanta, operating the arm during Hercules dives, and generally being extra pair of eyes and ears for the pilot. I also got to spend a few hours flying ROVs Hercules and Little Hercules, which was taxing, rewarding, and beyond cool.
ROV Hercules on the crane during a launch. I am managing the tether, making sure it doesn’t get caught on anything during the launch. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
Me in the control van in the copilot seat. Screens show views from Hercules, view of the winch that controls Atalanta’s depth, and the Atalanta GUI. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
Me in the pilot seat in the control van, flying ROV Hercules. The screens show views from many of the cameras on Hercules, the cameras on Atalanta, the Pilot GUI, ship navigation information, and more. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
A taken while collecting a deep sea sponge. I was using the arm and the scoop to gently maneuver the sponge into the forward biobox on ROV Hercules. Because the sponge was barely negatively bouyant, it was a bit like playing balloon soccer with a giant robot arm. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust 
Me standing next to the Niskin bottles on Hercules, presumably saying something very intelligent and definitely knowing what to do with my hands during a photo shoot. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust
One of the cool parts about the whole operation at Nautilus Live is that there is a huge focus on education and outreach. They live stream all the ROV dives, and they have an awesome website with all kinds of information about their work and highlights from expeditions. If you’re interested, there’s a whole bunch more information about my expedition there.
