Video Overlay System

For their range of sub-sea ROV products, our client required a low-cost, simple and robust system that would overlay sensor data, such as magnetic heading, pitch, roll and depth onto the video feed from the submarine to the operator. They also required the ability to allow the operator to add comments and titling details to the overlay in real-time for subsequent video recording, as well as tying in other data, from sources such as a GPS or other RS232 device.

As the system had to work independently from a PC, Blueprint’s solution was to develop two electronics modules, one mounted in the ROV and the other in the surface control box. Both modules were electrically isolated and connected using a high-speed data link requiring only one twisted-pair of cables on the vehicles umbilical.

A simple graphic menu interface, joystick style keypad and provision for a standard QWERTY keyboard on the surface, along with an inbuilt on-screen help make the system easy to learn and simple to operate, and a diagnostic tool for the telemetry devices was developed along with the electronics.

Microprocessors were chosen to support in-field upgrading of any firmware, and extra features provided allowing future I/O expansion and additional third party sensor data to be multiplexed onto the main data link. Rugged and easy to source components were chosen to simplify any technical support issues that may arise depending on the final systems operational environment and country of use.

Subsequently, due to its success, the modules have been upgraded to allow mounting on commercial divers and connection to sub-sea surveying software through the provision of NMEA data formats.