SEASAM DRONE - Get to know SEASAM

The operating principle of the drone makes it follow the remote control placed on the diver at a given distance, maintaining a depth almost identical to that of the remote control (a little above by default).
If, during the dive, the seabed is sloping, slanted or there are drops, the diver must ensure that the drone passes the “obstacles” and stages of the course after it.

Indeed, the drone always tries to keep up with the diver even if it detects an obstacle (the seabed): the depth instruction has priority over obstacle avoidance.
Therefore, if the diver makes a descent along the seabed and without considering the follow distance with the drone, the drone will make a downward movement to follow the depth of the diver and can thus be stuck on the seabed.
In this case of seabed detection, the drone stops, and its engines are disarmed; its lamps start to flash quickly, and sound signals are emitted.
It will then try to rearm his engines to resume tracking if it still detects a valid acoustic signal (and therefore the distance between the drone and the underwater remote control is not too important).
If the diver continues his descent without paying attention to the drone, the drone can begin to “plow” the ground while advancing.

There are three different ways to control SEASAM.

ROV Mode: SEASAM is connected to the WiFi Beacon and driven from the surface by the controller. The video from the on board camera is displayed on the SEASAM App.

Follow Mode: SEASAM follows the diver and responds to the command sent from the remote. The drone is not connected to the WiFi Beacon and does not share the video from the on board camera.
The diver can change the scenarios thanks to the remote.

Supervised Mode: SEASAM follows the diver but is also connected to the WiFi Beacon and the video from the on board camera is displayed on the SEASAM App.
At any time the control can be taken from the SEASAM App and the drone can be controlled from the surface by the controller.
In the Supervised Mode, the drone follows the diver only in “Follow” scenario.  The scenarios can be change  from the surface directly on the SEASAM App. It depends on who has the control.

Yes, SEASAM is equipped with a sensor that allows the drone to identify obstacle within a 1,5 meters radius.
However, obstacles avoidance is deactivated in this case :

• Between 0 and 2 meters depth under the surface.
• In ROV Mode
• If you choose to deactivated it in the Follow and Supervised Mode

The drone is not able to take decisions, it will stop when facing an obstacle and wait for another command. Always keep an eye on SEASAM while diving with it.

In any case, please remember that SEASAM is always under your responsibility.

The three buttons on the underwater remote control allow you to navigate through the various menus.

• The “Select” button at the top of the remote control allows to:
– Turn on and off the remote control.
– Confirm Scenario and Mode selection

• The right “Scen” button allows to:
– Access the Diver Tracking Scenarios menu with long press.
– Scroll down on the Scenarios or Modes screen.

• The left “Mode” button allows to:
– Access the Modes menu with long press.
– Scroll up Scenarios or Modes on the screen.

Select a Diver Tracking Scenario
Press and hold the “Scen” button to access the Scenarios drop-down menu. Then use the right and left buttons on the underwater remote to navigate between the scenarios and press “Select” to activate the selected scenario.

Choose a Mode
Press and hold the “Mode” button to access the Modes menu. Then use the right and left buttons to navigate between modes and press “Select.” to activate the selected mode.

Shortcuts
Press the top Select button twice.
➔ Activation of the Follow Scenario
Press the left button “Mode” twice.
➔ Activation of the “360” Scenario
Press the right “Scen” button twice.
➔ Activation of the Come to Me Scenario
Simultaneously press the two side buttons “Mode” and “Scen.” ➔ Activation of the Disarmed Scenario
Simultaneously press the 3 buttons
➔ Shutting down the underwater remote control.

The Seasam drone has a slightly positive buoyancy which allows it to rise to the surface in the event of a problem.
The salinity of the water has an impact on this buoyancy as well as the type of battery used. Thus the buoyancy is managed by the addition of weight or foam.

M Battery
The M battery is the standard battery used with the drone. The drone comes with the corresponding weights.
• Freshwater Navigation: No weights used.
• Saltwater Navigation: Using weights.

L Battery
The L battery is wider than the M battery and requires the addition of foams and weights are not used.
• Freshwater Navigation: Using Foams.
• Saltwater Navigation: No weights or foams used.

XL Battery  
The XL battery is much larger than the other batteries. It requires the use of a foam in addition to the standard weights.
• Freshwater Navigation: Using Foams.
• Saltwater Navigation: Using standard foam and weights.

The drone and the underwater remote control are communicating underwater thanks to acoustic. In order to ensure the communication, the drone and the underwater remote control must have been synchronized.
The synchronization happens when turning on the drone, the underwater remote control must stay on the drone until the end of the starting process when the underwater remote control indicates “disarmed ready”.

If you are using several drone at the same time, choose a different channel (0, 1 or 2) for each drone at the starting up of the underwater remote control to avoid miscommunication between the different drone and remotes.

This safety plug allows you to quickly shutdown SEASAM in case of emergency. Once the plug is pulled out of its socket, the drone will immediately shutdown. In order to be able to restart the drone again, the plug needs to be put back into its socket. This plug is mandatory for the activation of the drone. When removing or adding weights, make sure you keep the cord attached to the screw.

IMPORTANT! Do not let the cord float free in any case! If it floats free, it will get stuck in the motor and potentially damage the drone!

Yes, you can use any batteries provided by Notilo Plus.

SEASAM automatically detects its charge level and communicates it on SEASAM Control.
When the battery level becomes critically low, SEASAM will flash its blue LED quickly and send an alert on the Seasam Control’s screen.

Bring SEASAM near the surface and Disarmed it to be able to handle it safely.

If the battery is completely empty, SEASAM will shutdown and slowly rise to the surface thanks to its slightly positive buoyancy (Do not forget to add or remove the weight according to the type of water you are diving into).
You will be able to bring it back by pulling the cable. Be sure the carabiner is attached to the drone’s hull to avoid any damage on the connectors.

The internal camera is used by the drone to film the inspection done with SEASAM. The video is displayed on the SEASAM App and you can record or take pictures.
While using SEASAM in Follow Mode, the camera is part of the tracking diver system.

The drone produced sounds when it is activated and then the only sound comes from the propellers and it is not noisy.
The frequency and level of its acoustic emissions are not dangerous for the marine fauna and flora.

The maximum depth SEASAM can reach is 100 meters

SEASAM can swim in currents reaching a speed of 3 knots.
With its 7 propellers and internal stabilization system, it will remain stable even in strong currents.

The maximum speed SEASAM can reach is 1.5 meters per second underwater.

SEASAM comes with two integrated lights. These lights are 1000 lumens each, and are directly connected to the drone’s battery.

Yes, SEASAM is slightly buoyant, even in fresh water!
It uses its vertical propellers to stabilize itself vertically. It is possible to adjust the drone’s buoyancy by removing or adding the two weights on the inferior hull.

Ensure that the rope of emergency plug is fixed with the screw even without the weights.

Yes, SEASAM is fitted with a low light colour camera able to film in 1080p.
The characteristics are: FOV 139° – aperture F1/2.8 – focal lens 2,8mm.

The video from the on board camera is displayed on the SEASAM App when the drone is connected to the WiFI Beacon in ROV or Supervised Mode.

Yes, updates will be regular according to feedback and natural evolution of the product.

It is not recommended to switch off SEASAM underwater as it is prohibited to turned it on underwater.

In case of emergency you can switch off the drone by pulling out the safety plug under the drone.

Otherwise, the drone can only be deactivated :

• In Follow or Supervised Mode (diver control) : Using the “Disarmed” Scenario thanks to the underwater remote while diving with the drone
• In ROV Mode : With the controller and Seasam Control

After having switched off SEASAM underwater (in case of emergency) bring it back to the surface and restart the drone there.

You can configure your SEASAM via SEASAM Control and the Settings tab.

The SEASAM underwater remote control is equipped by an acoustic transmitter at the end of the cable that communicate the order to the 4 hydrophones on the drone.

The drone is able to triangulate the position of the diver thanks to the transmitter’s remote control and a pressure sensor in the underwater remote control. So it is important not to leave too much distance between the transmitter and the underwater remote control. When in Follow or Supervised Mode.

Make sure that you do not lose it underwater!

Turning on the underwater remote control.
Press the Select button for a few seconds to turn on the underwater remote
control. There is no need to hold the button.

Turning off the underwater remote control.
Press and hold the Select button. A drop-down menu appears with the
following indications: OFF, Works and Supervise.
Select “OFF” to display the “Shutdown” menu. Then select “Yes” with the left
button to confirm the shutdown.

The obstacle avoidance is done by means of an acoustic signal.

The drone detects obstacles in a radius of 1 meter to 1.5 meter around it; it can be represented as a sphere of about 3 meters in diameter with the drone in its centre.

Obstacle avoidance therefore only activates from a depth of 2 meters to avoid detecting the water surface as an obstacle.

When the drone detects an obstacle, its reaction is to slow down or stop, to take height and start again.

This loop will repeat itself as many times as the drone detects the obstacle.

(Sand, landforms, algae, air bubbles, another diver, an object floating in the water etc. can be considered as obstacles by the drone.)

During the obstacle avoidance action, the green LED on the front of the drone flashes to show you the obstacle detection.

If the diver moves forward while the drone slows down following an obstacle detection, the distance between the drone and the diver will increase and may reach a threshold where communication between the transmitter of the underwater remote control and the drone will no longer be operational – The drone will no longer receive a valid signal from the underwater remote control.

If the absence of a valid signal continues for more than 90 seconds, the drone will enter a protective mode, and will engage the “surface” scenario to return to the surface automatically.

Once it reaches the surface, it will disarm and stabilize at a depth of about 50 cm, waiting to be recovered or to receive a new order.

It is always recommended to monitor the drone and keep in mind that once on the surface the drone can be carried away by the swell and drift.

The battery’s status will be displayed on SEASAM Control. If the status is low or critical you will receive an alert on the computer screen.

If you are in Follow Mode diving with the drone, you can check the battery status underwater by placing the remote above the drone on its dedicated spot. The battery status will be displayed on the remote’s screen.

When it becomes critically low, SEASAM will flash its blue LED quickly and switch to the Come scenario. You can then pick it up and finish your dive, if you are near the boat and have warned the surface safety crew, you can also send it directly to the surface using the Surface scenario.

If the battery is completely empty, SEASAM will shutdown and slowly rise to the surface thanks to its slightly positive buoyancy (Do not forget to add or remove the weight according to the type of water you are diving into).

SEASAM is made to be resilient. Its hull is conceived to withstand significant shocks; however, you should always check SEASAM’s position in order to avoid collisions as much as possible. If a problem is detected, SEASAM will surface automatically.

If you are diving with SEASAM, do not attempt to swim back up to it right away – always respect proper diving safety procedures.
If there is an emergency or distress situation, it is important to activate the “Disarmed” scenario. It will help you stop the drone and bring it manually to the surface.

In ROV or Supervised Mode, also activate the “Disarmed” scenario, you will be able to bring it back by pulling the cable. Be sure the carabiner is attached to the drone’s hull to avoid any damage on the connectors.

This means that your drone has detected water in its internal compartments. However, this may also be a false alarm. Make sure that the battery compartment is fully dry; if some water traces are present, remove them with a dry towel and leave the drone in a dry spot for a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact our technical support by email support@notiloplus.com.