- Design
- Career
- Notes and references Notes References Bibliography
{{short description|A French remotely operated underwater vehicle of the Ifremer}}Épaulard}}>{{Infobox ship image| Ship image=Ifremer mg 5936.jpg | Ship caption=Épaulard at La Seyne-sur-Mer
}}{{Infobox ship career | Hide header= | Ship country=France | Ship flag= | Ship name=Épaulard | Ship namesake=Killer whale | Ship owner=Ifremer | Ship operator= | Ship registry= | Ship route= | Ship ordered= | Ship awarded= | Ship builder=ECA Group[1] | Ship original cost= | Ship yard number= | Ship way number= | Ship laid down= | Ship launched= | Ship sponsor= | Ship christened= | Ship completed= | Ship acquired= | Ship commissioned=1980[2] | Ship recommissioned= | Ship decommissioned= | Ship maiden voyage= | Ship in service= | Ship out of service= | Ship renamed= | Ship reclassified= | Ship refit= | Ship struck= | Ship reinstated= | Ship homeport= | Ship identification= | Ship motto= | Ship nickname= | Ship honours= | Ship honors= | Ship captured= | Ship fate= | Ship status= | Ship notes= | Ship badge=
}}{{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship class=remotely operated underwater vehicle | Ship type= | Ship tonnage= | Ship displacement=3 tonnes[2] | Ship tons burthen= | Ship length=4 metres [2] | Ship beam=1.1 metres[1] | Ship height=2 metres[1] | Ship draught= | Ship draft= | Ship depth= 6000 m [1] | Ship hold depth= | Ship decks= | Ship deck clearance= | Ship ramps= | Ship ice class= | Ship power= | Ship propulsion=Sail | Ship sail plan= | Ship speed=1 m/s[1] | Ship range=20 km[1] | Ship endurance=7 to 12 hours[1][1] | Ship test depth= | Ship boats= | Ship capacity= | Ship troops= | Ship complement= | Ship crew= | Ship time to activate= | Ship sensors=5000-shot BENTHOS 377 photographic camera[1][1] | Ship EW= | Ship armament= | Ship armour=Aluminum[2] | Ship aircraft= | Ship aircraft facilities= | Ship notes=
}} | Épaulard is a French remotely operated underwater vehicle of the Ifremer. She is notable as the first robotic submarine capable of taking photographs at a depth of 6000 metres. Built in 1980, Épaulard was decommissioned in 1991. Design Épaulard was designed and built by ECA Group[3] She was teleoperated from a support ship by means of acoustic signals.[1] While the submarine herself displaced three tonnes, the entire system would use up 35m² of deck space and weight 20 tonnes; such systems were installed on a number of Ifremer ships such as Noroît, Suroît, Atalante or Jean Charcot.[1]In 1983, she was upgraded with a vertical propeller and a remote TV system with acoustic broadcast of images.[1] Career Starting in 1981, Épaulard was used for the study of nodules and shipwrecks on the Pacific seafloor.[1] She was decommissioned in 1991, having performed 200 missions.[1] Notes and references Notes 1. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 L'Epaulard, Ifremer
2. ^AUV System Spec Sheet
3. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 III.5.- PHOTOGRAPHIES CONTINUES DU FOND MARIN, Ifremer
References{{Reflist|30em}} Bibliography {{DEFAULTSORT:Epaulard (1831)}} 2 : Robotic submarines|Remotely operated underwater vehicles |