A dip with the divers
of the Gendarmerie Nationale

A strong operational need, a tailored technological response

The elite divers of the CNING, recognised since 1965 for their interventions in extreme environments, face technical limitations as soon as the depth exceeds 50 metres: safety constraints, low visibility, limited human endurance. The ambition of the DIVER project is to provide a concrete response to these challenges by developing an underwater drone remotely operated from the surface, specifically designed to assist investigators while ensuring the integrity of the chain of evidence.

From the outset, one guiding principle was established as the foundation of the project: it would not be about adapting existing technology, but rather about creating a tool entirely designed for the specific needs of underwater technical and scientific police.

An ROV Purpose-Built for Underwater Crime Scene Investigation

Developed in close collaboration with CNING, the specifications are based on three pillars:

-an ultra-high definition camera, coupled with a sonar, to locate and document with millimetric precision the underwater scenes

-a compact structure, robust and resistant to great depths, easily deployable in real conditions and equipped with a powerful lighting system

-an ergonomic software interface, facilitating a quick handling by the gendarmerie operators.

The challenge goes beyond technological prowess alone, it is also judicial, human and institutional. It is a question of providing the gendarmerie with means allowing it to intervene effectively where very few actors can operate.

A rigorous project approach,

for innovation at the service of public interest

The DIVER project is spread over 18 months, divided into five main phases: needs analysis, design, prototyping, testing and operational integration. The tests are conducted both in the Paris PSL Mines basin, at the Sophia Antipolis laboratory, and in the field alongside the CNING divers, in their training area of Antibes/Golfe-Juan.

This constant proximity with end users is one of the project’s key drivers: enabling the co-development of a relevant, agile, and potentially transportable device suitable for other organisations, such as nautical brigades or the French Navy.

This partnership with CNING fully illustrates Mines Paris’ commitment to put science and engineering at the service of sovereign missions. Working alongside field professionals, capable of providing accurate feedback in real operational conditions, is a rare asset in the field of technological innovation. With DIVER, an opportunity has been seized not only to advance underwater robotics, but also to actively contribute to the modernisation of justice and public safety tools, in a spirit of strong social responsibility.