Long-Distance Tunnel Inspection. Beyond 10 km.
AUS-ROV deploys a military-grade 5 km fibre-optic tethered ROV system — purpose-built to inspect water, hydro and utility tunnels that other operators can't reach. Proven on Adelaide's 1,500 m intake tunnel.
Request a Scoping Call ▸When the tunnel is too long for a standard ROV.
Most ROV operators top out at 2–2.5 km of tether. Beyond that, signal loss, drag and positioning accuracy fall apart — and you're left with the choice of dewatering (weeks of downtime, millions in lost production) or flying overseas specialists in at international rates.
AUS-ROV was built to close that gap. Our fibre-optic tethered system delivers full HD video, sonar and positioning data across distances where copper-tethered ROVs simply can't operate.
What makes AUS-ROV different.
5 km fibre-optic tether
Military-grade, single-mode fibre. Uncompromised HD video and sonar telemetry at any point along the run.
SRS Fusion ROV platform
Heavy work-class capability in a compact footprint — deployable through 600 mm access hatches.
Australian-based, Australian-owned
No international freight, no fly-in crew rates. On-site within 48 hours anywhere in the Asia-Pacific.
1,500 m intake tunnel — Adelaide
The challenge: A live, fully flooded potable water intake tunnel needed internal condition assessment without dewatering. Standard ROV options maxed out at 800 m of effective range.
The deployment: AUS-ROV launched the SRS Fusion via a single access point, ran the full 1,500 m round-trip under fibre-optic tether, and captured continuous HD video, multi-beam sonar and waypoint-tagged defect imagery of the entire tunnel interior.
The outcome: Delivered a full condition report, defect register and 3D point cloud — zero dewatering, zero supply interruption, completed in a single mobilisation.
Tunnels we inspect.
- Hydro-power headrace and tailrace tunnels
- Potable water intake and supply tunnels
- Irrigation and stormwater diversion tunnels
- Cooling-water intake tunnels (power stations)
- Mining dewatering and drainage tunnels
- Subsea cable and service tunnels
- Utility crossings and microtunnels
- Abandoned mine workings and flooded shafts
What you receive.
- Full-length HD video (raw + edited highlight reel)
- Multi-beam sonar survey of the tunnel interior
- Defect register with chainage, severity and photos
- 3D point cloud where laser scanning is required
- Engineering-grade condition assessment report
- GIS-ready data (KML / shapefile on request)
- Maintenance and remediation recommendations
- On-site debrief with your engineering team
Have a tunnel inspection coming up?
Talk to our lead ROV pilot. A 15-minute scoping call is the fastest way to find out if AUS-ROV is the right fit for your site.
Book a 15-minute scoping call ▸Frequently asked questions.
How far can the AUS-ROV system actually reach?
Our operational fibre tether is 5 km. In practice we routinely run round trips of up to 10+ km inside a single tunnel (out-and-back from a mid-point access), depending on launch geometry. Every project is scoped individually.
Do we need to dewater the tunnel?
No. The whole point of ROV inspection is that you don't. We deploy through an existing access hatch or shaft, inspect the tunnel while it remains in full operation, then recover — typically in a single day of on-water work.
What's the minimum tunnel diameter you can work in?
The SRS Fusion platform operates comfortably in tunnels from 600 mm internal diameter upwards. Smaller crawler-based systems are available for tight-bore inspections.
How quickly can you mobilise?
For priority jobs anywhere in Australia we can typically mobilise within 48 hours of a confirmed scope. Asia-Pacific projects usually mobilise within 5–7 days.
How are your rates compared to overseas specialists?
Being Australian-based removes international freight, per-diems and fly-in crew rates that typically add 30–60% to an overseas-specialist quote. You get the same class of equipment without the offshore premium.