Piscator is an instrumented gantry designed for testing, calibrating and qualifying underwater equipment, in particular optical imaging (video cameras, lighting), acoustics (echo sounders, sonar) and navigation systems (inertial systems, gyroscopes, etc.). It is installed in a freshwater tank with a volume of approximately 27 m³.

Piscator is a robotic gantry with 6 degrees of freedom. It comprises 2 horizontal axes for linear movement and a vertical axis for immersion. The vertical axis is rotative and fitted with an instrumented handle possessing 2 degrees of rotative freedom.

Characteristics

• Digitally controlled gantry
• 3 motorized linear axes (X, Y, Z)
• 1 motorized rotation (on the vertical Z axis)
• 2 motorized rotations on the handle at the end of the Z axis
• 20 kg payload in the water (max.), 35 kg in the air (max.) 
• Payload volume (max.): length 500 mm, diameter 200 mm

Performance 

• Linear speed (max.): 0.25 m/s
• Linear acceleration (max.): 4 m/s
• Angular speed (max.): 0.2 rad/s
• Linear repeatability: 20 µm
• Angular repeatability: 1/100^th of a degree