Revolution

Six Revolution ROVs went to the Bundeswehr in a 2023/24 rapid procurement by the BAAINBw for close reconnaissance and recovery, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service trialled Deep Trekker equipment for subsurface rescue before buying a cheaper FiFish ROV under 3,000 GBP for its own use.

Built by Deep Trekker of Kitchener, Ontario – founded in 2010 and part of Halma plc since 2022 – the Revolution was introduced in 2019 as a portable remotely operated vehicle for search and recovery without divers. It weighs 26 kg (a Chinese-language page says 33 kg), measures 72 × 44 × 24 cm, dives to 305 m and runs up to 6 hours on swappable 22.2 V battery tubes changed in 30 seconds.

Six thrusters give manoeuvrability, a rotating 4K camera head shows the scene, a grabber lifts objects or attaches lines, and sonar plus positioning are optional. Control and video run through a tether of 300, 500 or 850 m, or up to 2 km over fibre. The maker publishes no list price; a single 2024 second-hand listing quoted a recommended price of about 45,000 GBP, which is not a reliable figure.

For fire-service dive teams, an ROV of this class means recovering a victim or evidence from cold, murky water without putting a diver at risk; indoors and in collapsed structures the airborne Flyability Elios 3 plays the same role.