The bucket is teflon-coated and is suitable for collecting samples to be analyzed for sediment chemistry. One of the two video cameras is forward-looking in order to capture an oblique view of the seabed and to warn of obstacles such as boulders that lie in the path of the system. The still camera usually is deployed 76 cm above the seabed, and it is capable of taking 250 photos. All of the systems are powered from the surface vessel through a conducting cable, except for the lasers which are battery-operated. The winch operator views the video monitor so that the system can be maintained at an appropriate height above the bottom and obstacles can be avoided.
Scientists also view video monitors and decide when to sample and take bottom photos.
These images and samples are essential to the study of sedimentary environments and biological habitats and to the interpretation of sidescan sonar imagery, the most common tool for mapping the seabed. It has been used extensively in projects in the Stellwagen Bank NMS, in the New York Bight, in Long Island Sound, on Georges Bank, and off the coasts of Oregon and Washington.