{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,14]],"date-time":"2025-10-14T00:48:12Z","timestamp":1760402892717,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,4]],"date-time":"2021-04-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617494400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Office of Naval Research","award":["GRANT12941723"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GRANT12941723"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Tethered deep-sea robots and instrument platforms, such as Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and vertical-profiling or towed instrument arrays, commonly rely on fiber optics for real-time data transmission. Fiber optic tethers used for these applications are either heavily reinforced load-bearing cables used to support lifting and pulling, or bare optical fibers used in non-load bearing applications. Load-bearing tethers directly scale operations for deep-sea robots as the cable diameter, mass, and length typically require heavy winches and large surface support vessels to operate, and also guide the design of the deep-sea robot itself. In an effort to dramatically reduce the physical scale and operational overhead of tethered live-telemetry deep-sea robots and sensors, we have developed the Fiber Optic Reel System (FOReelS). FOReelS utilizes a customized electric fishing reel outfitted with a proprietary hollow-core braided fiber optic fishing line and mechanical termination assembly (FOFL), which offers an extremely small diameter (750 \u03bcm) load-bearing (90 lb\/400 N breaking strength) tether to support live high-bandwidth data transmission as well as fiber optic sensing applications. The system incorporates a novel epoxy potted data payload system (DPS) that includes high-definition video, integrated lighting, rechargeable battery power, and gigabit ethernet fiber optic telemetry. In this paper we present the complete FOReelS design and field demonstrations to depths exceeding 780 m using small coastal support vessels of opportunity. FOReelS is likely the smallest form factor live-telemetry deep-sea exploration tool currently in existence, with a broad range of future applications envisioned for oceanographic sensing and communication.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s21072526","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,5]],"date-time":"2021-04-05T11:48:29Z","timestamp":1617623309000},"page":"2526","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["The Fiber Optic Reel System: A Compact Deployment Solution for Tethered Live-Telemetry Deep-Sea Robots and Sensors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4361-6529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brennan T.","family":"Phillips","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA"},{"name":"Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Chaloux","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4147-0338","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Russell","family":"Shomberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adriana","family":"Mu\u00f1oz-Soto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Mayag\u00fcez, PR 00681, USA"},{"name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, EPP\/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4015-8075","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jim","family":"Owens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nautilus Defense LLC, Pawtucket, RI 02860, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Steele, J., Thorpe, S., and Turekian, K. 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