Jason is a two-body ROV system. A 10-kilometer (6-mile) reinforced fiber-optic cable delivers electrical power and commands from the ship through Medea and down to Jason, which then returns data and live video imagery. Medea serves as a shock absorber, buffering Jason from the movements of the ship, while providing lighting and a bird's eye view of the ROV during seafloor operations. Jason is equipped with sonars, video and still imaging systems, lighting, and numerous sampling systems. Jason's manipulator arms collect samples of rock, sediment, or marine life and place them in the vehicle's basket or on "elevator" platforms that float heavier loads to the surface. Pilots and scientists work from a control room on the ship to monitor Jason's instruments and video while maneuvering the vehicle. The average Jason dive lasts one to two days, though operators have kept the vehicle down for as long as seven days.

Built specifically for deep-sea research and exploration, ROV Odysseus is capable of diving to depths of 6,000 meters (over 20,000 feet). ROV Odysseus remains connected to its host ship by an umbilical that contains the ROV power conductors and fiber optic cables, which send back real-time video and other sensor data to the ship. ROV Odysseus is fitted with a myriad of tools such as sonars, altimeters, and depth sensors. Also equipped with various environmental sensors. The Odysseus ROV system can also collect scientific samples such as sediment cores, coral specimens, and other samples such as sponges and rocks. Odysseus was equipped with a seven-function manipulator arm. The ROV is able to sample biological specimens and keep them alive because it has an insulated biobox that holds seawater from the depth at which the animal lives. ROV Odysseus is also fitted with powerful lights (5,000 lumen) and a high-definition camera. High-definition video is streamed back to the ship in real time and overlaid with navigational data from both the ship and the ROV.

Part of NOAA's DeepSEARCH program, conducted on the R/V Atlantis