As some would say, we have a better knowledge of the sky above us than we have of the sea beneath us. Soon though, the underwater environment might lose a bit of its mysterious aura, thanks to the recent developments in exploring technology. In this specific case, a valuable help can come from OceanoCam, an underwater camera which, in spite of its low cost, is capable of shooting high definition video footage, at a depth of up to 500 meters.

The system includes a digital video camera with a high definition video recorder, three powerful LED lights and a 600-meter optic fiber cable; the camera is contained in a sturdy aluminum shell, which protects it from water pressure up to 50 atmospheres. Thanks to its LED lights, it can illuminate the darkest depths, those where direct sunlight would never reach through the water.

Through the optic fiber cable, images are sent to a computer located on the mother ship, and thus stored on the laptop’s hard drive. Image properties, as well as zoom level, can be adjusted manually from the computer, through a joystick.

This device, which was presented at the recent Innovation Awards held in Amsterdam, thanks to its reasonable cost and ease of use due to its modular configuration, looks like a promising prospect for applications such as shooting underwater documentaries, or gathering images and videos for scientific use.
In short, thanks to OceanoCam we will be able to get to know better the depth of our seas, assess their health and, hopefully, help to safeguard their natural balance.