Crevice-diving with the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone

Friday, September 28, 2018 / Water-filled crevice, Linesøya, Norway

Words by Oda Ryggen / Marketing Manager

During the 2018 Blueye strategy workshop at Linesøya in Trøndelag, Norway, some of the Blueye Team members headed out with the underwater drone to explore a nearby water-filled crevice. As our Project Manager, Ane Mengshoel, is an experienced cave diver, we ofcourse had to test and see how the underwater drone would handle diving in a narrow lookalike cave filled with water.

As the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone is the first of its kind, we aim to test it for multiple purposes. Since our Project Manager, Ane Mengshoel, is an experienced and enthusiastic cave diver, we wanted to bring the drone to a nearby water-filled crack in the mountain during our trip to Linesøya to test the drone and its function in a narrow place like this.

Rune and the drone attached to his backpack — Rune and the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone strapped to his backpack.

As the underwater drone is quite neat (weights less than 9 kg and is not wider than 48 cm), it wasn't hard to simply strap the drone to Rune's backpack. The tether (cabel) was stuffed inside the backpack together with the WSU and controller.

Blueye Pioneer in the crevice water — The Blueye Pioneer taking it's first dive in a crevice.

Blueye Screenshot inside the crevice-water — Screenshot from the crevice-dive.

Ane started diving in 2001 and advanced into cave-diving in 2013. She has performed over 230 dives in caves and mines, and see clear benefits with using the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone for her exploration-expeditions.

Ane and the Blueye Pioneer — Ane approves the Blueye Pioneer for crevice-diving.

How divers can benefit from using the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone:

Exploring the seabed for wrecks and other interesting diving sites before using unnecessary and expensive gas
Mapping divesites in advance to conclude a strategy for the dive
Checking the dive potential in new caves located in remote areas before carrying the scuba gear there
Using the underwater drone as a digital diving-mask for sites and wreck out of range for humans

Voyage Destination

Water-filled crevice, Linesøya, Norway

Crevice-dive with the underwater drone

Blueye Pioneer strapped to Rune's backpack

Rune carrying the Blueye Pioneer underwater drone on to his backpack
The team climbing up to the crevice

The Blueye Team climbing upwards to the crevice
Crevice view

View from the crevice
Starting up the drone

Ane and Rune getting the underwater drone ready for it's dive
Oda with headlight

Oda looking upwards with her headlight inside the crevice
Drone in water

The Blueye Pioneer underwater drone lighting up the water-filled crevice
Ane and the Blueye Pioneer

Ane and the Blueye Pioneer
Rune pointing

Rune pointing towards the open ocean