General Construction and Classification of Manipulators for Underwater Vehicles

The article presents the general construction of an underwater vehicle manipulator along with a discussion of the materials used in their construction. The types of drive systems used by the manipulator have been characterised, distinguishing their advantages and disadvantages. The functions of the manipulator are specified in relation to the activities performed by it. Moreover, the paper discusses the manipulator's degrees of freedom with the specification of the formula for their calculation. The basic types of end effectors are presented as well as an outline of the classification of manipulators in relation to the tasks carried out.