[PSUBS-MAILIST] sub-suit combc....

[Dewey Mason <drmason2001@yahoo.com>]

Hey Guys,
 I have a strange question to put out to the group.
One of my employees asked me if it would be feasible
to build a powered unit from which a prone diver could
extend his arms to do work (in this case pick up
mussels off the bottom) while otherwise staying warm
and dry. I know of several VERY old designs, i.e.
1700's, that used this principle. However, most of
them seemed to be attempting a 1 atm contraption,
while exposing ones sealed arms to ambient pressure.
Not a good idea, I should think. I was thinking more
of an ambient, foot controlled sub-suit thing with
light seals around the arms just to keep it dry.
Perhaps even built in arm length gloves. It would need
a field of view both down and forward, and to each
side as well. I also envisioned a pair of skids, out
of arms reach, to protect the arms from pinching or
crushing between the unit and the rest of the world.
Probably a rail fore and aft as well.This rig could
easily be surface tethered, or even surface powered
and air supplied, in the context where we would use
it. It would have to function in a stiff 10-12 knot
current to be effective here. It could easily have
some means of holding the bottom, such as tracks,
wheels, claws, or whatever, to move it along and keep
it's position, as we have mostly flat riverbed to work
on. Of course the ability to work over steep bottoms
would make it more useful. The technical aspects do
become quite interesting, though. Any comments from
the group at large on this one?
Dewey R Mason II
Abyss Marine Technologies

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