VideoRay Relies on Nortek DVLs for High-Stakes Missions

VideoRay’s Mission Specialist Defender ROV, used in defense applications including explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), relies on Nortek’s DVL 500 Compact for navigation and vehicle control during sensitive missions.

Pennsylvania-based VideoRay, an AV company, is a manufacturer of underwater robotic systems. Their Defender ROV has been selected by the U.S. Navy to support the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Underwater Vehicle Program and the MESR (US Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response) program of record. For this application, the Defender relies on Nortek’s DVL 500 Compact for navigation and vehicle control.

Underwater operations are increasingly relying on high-performance uncrewed and autonomous systems to perform tasks which previously put divers in harm’s way. Reliable navigation sensors are key to making this transition possible.

The Defender uses Nortek’s DVL 500 Compact as the core of the vehicle’s navigation system, providing pilots with pinpoint positioning in environments where GNSS is unavailable. From station keeping to advanced mission profiles such as automated waypoint following, it allows operators to push ROVs into missions once thought to be beyond reach.

Nortek’s DVL 500 Compact. Credit: Nortek

ROVs like the Defender are frequently used in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) missions: locating and safely neutralizing explosive material, such as underwater mines, in high-risk areas in contested environments.

As both ROV and sensor technology has developed over the years, VideoRay and Nortek have worked closely together to ensure top performance. While the Defender originally used the DVL 1000, VideoRay required a sensor with longer range and better performance in a noisy environment.

Nortek’s DVL 500 Compact offers the same housing as the original DVL 1000 but offers more than twice the range, as well as additional features including noise shielding. This made it the ideal solution for the Defender.