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When the surrounding water is clear of particles, regular lighting works well enough over a limited range but as soon as the area includes material such as silt or organic material, it becomes ineffective. Regular white light causes the eyes or camera iris to dilate due to reflection (or back-scatter). Some of the light will still be penetrating the water but due to the reflected glare it cannot be seen.

Violight overcomes these problems by using narrow band ultraviolet light in the high UVA range, and reactive paint on the equipment you need to study. Narrow band ultraviolet light is preferable because it does not cause visual glare to a human eye, either directly or through a camera system, unlike a standard Wood’s Glass type ultraviolet emitter.

Although the ultraviolet light is reflected by the particles, its reflected light is invisible to the human eye and thus there is no glare present to dilate the iris of the observing eye or camera. This system can also be used with equal success where there are few or no particles in the water. And because ultraviolet light travels further in water than visible light, you will have a greater range of operations.

Advantages over current white lighting :

• Due to narrow band UV, very limited visible light will be produced thus eliminating glare.
• Increased range of light travel in water due to higher frequency of UV light.
• Particle entrainment creates very limited, if not zero, visible back scatter thus aiding visibility in turbid waters.
• Better colour distinction enabling better label identification.

Advantages over 3D Acoustic Cameras :

• Does not require specialist ROV package add on. Violight just replaces existing lights.
• Can be utilised by drivers on site with no need for additional feed to surface.
• If not fully turbid then acoustic systems have a limited range ~30m. So in clearer conditions violight would be able to take advantage of this.
• Can be retrofitted to any ROV (work class through to small observation class).
• Colour identification and markings are still visible. Hardware costs likely to be lower.

Normal White light shone through a sediment heavy environment

UV Light shone through the same environment at an object with a reactive coating