This is super cool build, nicely done, @Lsbutler21!
We’re doing somewhat similar work with BlueROV2s to conduct photo/video surveys within kelp forests along coastal Washington (see here). I would think that ROVs with the T500 thursters could be really useful in areas of the coast where ripping current challenges surveys.
Regarding your next steps: supplying power over the wire was a game-changer for us. We use the Outland system and x2 200Ah lithium-ion batteries on our vessel. Having a DVL is also quite useful for our ROV surveys, as it, e.g., allows us to lock-in any given altitude above the seafloor to improve the consistency of our survey imagery, e.g., via surftrak, which is now a part of ArduSub 4.5 Beta (and also see surftrak_fixit in the BlueOS Extensions for surftrak setup / monitoring assistance).
I do have a question . . . we were/are interested in the Sony ILX-LRI camera you used . . . how did you integrate it with the ROV? A colleague of ours attempted the LAN connection, but reported some issues that I don’t believe were resolved. I’m aware there’s also a local wifi connection option as well, but we opted not to pursue that. How did you go about the ILX-LRI integration, and what was your experience??
Cheers!
Zach