Boxfish Software Update: 24 January 2024

, 24 Jan 2024

At Boxfish Robotics, we’re committed to continually enhancing the capabilities of our Boxfish ROVs and HAUVs. Our recent software upgrade introduces a range of enhancements and new features designed to enhance your underwater exploration experience.

Introducing ROV-Z Mode: Unparalleled Control

Our latest firmware update introduces a brand-new control mode – the ROV-Z mode, in addition to the existing Sea-Q and ROV-Q modes released in 2021, this improvement provides users with easier control over pitch while using ROV mode, making it easier to chase fish or drive down a changing slope. With the ROV-Z mode, you can manipulate pitch and lateral movement using the left joystick while adjusting depth and roll with the auxiliary joystick. This intuitive and powerful control mode offers a new level of versatility.

90-Degree Pitch and Roll Control: See it All

One of the standout features of our latest beta software is advanced 90-degree pitch control. We’ve revamped the pitch control algorithm to enable full 90-degree pitch control, both upward and downward. This enhancement allows you to effortlessly look directly up and down while piloting the ROV, providing you with a comprehensive view of the underwater environment.

Image from the Boxfish Luna ROV facing down, showcasing the full 90-degree pitch control. Image courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Inspired Planet Productions, and Science Media Creator.
Image from the Boxfish Luna ROV facing up, showcasing the full 90-degree pitch control. Image courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Inspired Planet Productions, and Science Media Creator.

Additionally, this improvement results in smoother ROV movement control, enhancing precision exploration from any angle. The 90-degree pitch control will be available for all new vehicles as well as those currently in production at the time of this release. Talk to us about how you can enable this on your Boxfish ROV, Luna or Alpha.

Boxfish Data Overlay Unit: Enhancing Scientific Exploration and Inspection Work

For scientific and industrial applications, we’re pleased to offer the Boxfish Data Overlay as an optional feature. This option overlays the uncompressed 4K video stream with essential information, including heading, depth, roll, pitch, and, when a USBL system is connected, the location (latitude and longitude) of the ROV. The overlay data can be easily enabled or disabled, and we can customise the display to add sensor information to meet specific requirements.

Data overlay displays heading and depth data over a 4K video stream. Image courtesy of Victoria University of Wellington’s Sponge Ecology Group.
Data overlay displays roll and pitch data over a 4K video stream. Image courtesy of Victoria University of Wellington’s Sponge Ecology Group.