Utah DPS Dive Team rolls out robot to assist with underwater missions

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — An unnamed robotic is beginning to scan below the water floor in Utah. The Utah Division of Public Security’s Dive Workforce has rolled out a brand new robotic to help with underwater missions.

“Up to now when there was a drowning sufferer there was actually nothing you may do however ship divers right down to seek for them,” stated Sgt. Greg Kelsey, who has been with the dive crew since 2008. “Now we are able to drop the robotic both from the shore if we’re shut sufficient, from the assist boat.”

The robotic is supplied with sonar, a video digital camera offering a reside stream to the controller and a grabbing mechanism so it will possibly latch onto an object or pull it out of the water.

The Dive Workforce is comprised of DPS and Utah Freeway Patrol personnel.

“Having to cease the sonar boat and deploy a diver, you’re stopping the seek for a few hours when you deploy divers, this fashion the massive boat retains going, retains trying to find extra targets,” stated Sgt. Kelsey. “It sounds counterintuitive however the most secure factor we are able to do on a dive crew will not be dive.”

The brand new robotic has been within the works for about 5 years. It’s a tethered robotic that has the aptitude of scanning surfaces at practically 300 meters.

“It’ll go virtually a thousand toes, the deepest locations in Utah after they’re at pool anyway is round 500 toes,” stated Sgt. Kelsey, who says the robotic is able to be deployed on missions as quickly because the dive crew known as upon.

The crew was created in 2001. They work on a wide range of duties together with anti-terrorism work by scanning dams, serving to at native occasions such because the IRONMAN in Southern Utah earlier this month, helping native companies in recovering proof with most of their callouts involving search and restoration missions. In 2021, they had been concerned in practically 10 recoveries.

“Most of my expertise now sadly is on the tragic finish of cruising journeys,” stated Sgt. Kelsey, who mirrored on years of working restoration missions with the dive crew. “To reply and convey that individuals cherished one again to them is, the tragedy has already occurred, however there’s some success, some satisfaction in serving to that household recuperate their misplaced one so they might have some closure in that.”