The Revolution Blog

Hamilton Land Lubs Underwater

Sunday, Feb 28, 2016

There’s a lot to love about Hydroid Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

The REMUS 600 cruises along in ocean depths of 600 to 1500 meters. Like a Hamilton cart, REMUS specializes in missions that require extended endurance and increased payload capacity. Hydroid’s diverse defense missions include complete area searches, organic and expeditionary mine countermeasures, and to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.

The REMUS 600 is graceful and stable at the ocean floor, but it needed an expert land-lubber assist when back on solid ground.

On land, Hamilton made a splash with a 1,200 pound custom cart.


Hydroid teamed up with Hamilton to design a custom cart to load AUV’s onto a truck or trailer for transport to a marina. Special tie down rings on the cart secure it to the truck during transport. No wiggle room here.

Once at the destination, the cart encounters more obstacles. Rough, uneven surfaces often with steep angles, bumps and hairpin turns on boat ramps and wooden piers. With the expensive vehicle on board, the cart has to perform like a superstar.

Hamilton planned for that. The aluminum cart can handle salt water and salt air. The radius is padded with a soft cradle to hold the vehicle snugly in place. Corrosion resistant zinc plated casters with heavy duty foot activated contact brakes ensure the cart and cargo remain stationary.

When in motion, it’s a cushy ride. Instead of hard wheels that won’t absorb the shocks from the docks, Hamilton engineers selected 12” x 3” semi-pneumatic Super-Flex wheels. These wheels provide super cushioning and won’t go flat avoiding costly downtime.

In addition to transport, the cart is also used for storage of the AUVs. And with the accessible design, the cart can function as a stand while workers make adjustments to the vehicle.

Tech Specs of the REMUS 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Transport Cart

  • Capacity: 1,200 pounds
  • Perimeter Frame Size: 30" wide X 66" long
  • Frame Material: Aluminum
  • Steering Type: Swivel caster style
  • Running Gear: 2 swivel casters and 2 fixed wheels all with 12" diameter semi-pneumatic Super-Flex wheels with precision ball bearing
  • Superstructure: 4 "U" shaped cradles - the 2 end cradles are fixed, the 2 intermediate cradles to be moved laterally to compensate for various options on the AUV. 3 movable tie downs on each side (6 total). "U" shaped handles on both sides used to steady and guide the cart.
  • Couplers: Towing eye attached to each end frame

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