An Underwater Color Viewing System—What It Can And Will Do

摘要

The history of underwater television cameras is basically the history of black and white systems. Early cameras were simply studio-type units which were modified to make them waterproof. At best, they were bulky and unreliable because of their high power and multi-control cable requirements. These repackaged studio cameras could only be used for simple viewing tasks close to the surface, and then without much success. Underwater TV has come a long way since 1960 when Hydro Products designed the first camera system specifically for use in water. In recent years, the application of underwater TV has been expanded to include complete systems which have become vital tools in such major underwater operations as ocean research, mining, and in particular offshore drilling. Break throughs in semiconductor technology and resultant miniaturization of the electronic portion of the television camera were significant steps in the development of small, high performance television equipment with low operation power requirements. Present underwater TV cameras have evolved to a high level of sophistication, utilizing special optical and housing configurations to suit virtually every type of application.