Today, with the aid of advanced computer design techniques, the modern ROV has evolved through many iterations of the design spiral shown previously. Today’s ROVs are relied upon to perform complex operations offshore, in ever increasing water depths, and have accordingly reached a high level of technical design. These vehicles must also be flexible, that is, they must be capable of being configured for many tasks. This holds true for small and large systems, which are used for a variety of inspection and/or work tasks. Since the goal of the ROV is to accomplish an often-complicated task, its overall capability is usually driven by two major considerations—work requirement and operational water depth—both of which drive the considerations of the design spiral.

However, the design of the ROV must take into the overall system. There are a large number of considerations that must be made both in the design and in the selection of an ROV system such as:

• Cost
• Market size, requirements and acceptability
• The operational platform (e.g. ships, rigs, platforms, etc.)
• Current technology available
• Power
• Size
• Weight
• Deck space required
• Maximum depth
• Maximum sea state
• Payload capability
• Application
• Versatility (i.e. configurability for different tasks)
• Safety
• Reliability
• Track record (if any)
• Maintainability
• Field support and spares
• Warranty
• Subsystem interfaces and options available

The photo of the Perry Tritech Triton vehicle with a top-hat tether management system and an A-frame style launch and recovery system highlights the complexity of the overall system and underscores the point that the ROV is a small, yet significant, piece of the overall puzzle.