Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 10:47
Forums
Antarctic Undersea ROV 09

Hello Michele and team,

We know you are winding down, but have a last question. We are about to deploy our own rov under ice at our pond. How do you make sure the ice is safe? Is there a way to test the depth of the ice safely?

Thanks for great journals and information, we have loved everything! Jillian and..Beto, Jose, Misty, Marvin, Adrian, Zauria, Parker, Adrian(2), Lane...From Flagstaff Arizona!

Wed, 12/16/2009 - 13:53

Stacy Kim

Hi Jillian, Beto, Jose, Misty, Marvin, Adrian, Zauria, Parker, Adrian(2) and Lane,
How exciting that you are going to put your ROV in under the ice! I
do not know very much about ice on lakes, but I do know that you want
to be very, very careful. If you can chop a hole in near shore and
you stay on land and launch the ROV from there that would be safest.
You could also do some web research on ways to safely work off lake
ice; I am sure there is a minimum thickness that is safe for walking on.
When we work near the ice edge we drill to make sure the ice is thick
enough to support our vehicle weight (the ice has to be at least a
meter thick, but then, vehicles weigh a lot more than people), and if
we are going near a slippery edge we wear a safety harness and are
tied to an anchor point that is a safe distance away. Only one person
can approach the ice edge at a time, and someone is standing by to
pull them in immediately if they slip.
Be careful, and let me know what you find! Is Walker or Bumble Bee
going in, or both?
Best, Stacy
On Dec 17, 2009, at 8:47 AM, webmaster@polartrec.com wrote: