UTEC, a geo-services model in Acteon’s Knowledge and Robotics division, has carried out trials on its upgraded Gavia autonomous underwater car (AUV), off Fremantle in Western Australia.
The AUV has lately undergone important upgrades and the addition of latest modules together with the subsea ultra-short baseline (USBL) aiding the car inertial navigation system (INS) positioning.
The trial examined the AUV in its reconfiguration and supplied additional coaching for the native crew with the assist of UTEC’s AUV specialists from the UK.
Following on from the coaching and trials accomplished for the reason that AUV arrived in Perth on the finish of 2022, UTEC has finalized a big program of upgrades and enhancements of the system.
These included INS/Doppler velocity log (DVL) modules (PHINS C3 and Pathfinder DVL); battery modules growing mission endurance from six hours to 12; cNode USBL modules and nostril cone enabling USBL monitoring, aiding acoustic communications to the AUV and incorporating a brand new eight-megapixel digital camera within the nosecone.
The management modules additionally acquired upgrades together with calibration of depth and sound velocity (SV) sensors and a firmware improve, UTEC mentioned.
Probably the most important improve, nevertheless, is the addition of the module that allows subsea USBL aiding of the car INS positioning. This implies the car doesn’t have to floor periodically to replace the inner place and account for INS/DVL drift, creating efficiencies by permitting the car to stay subsea and on activity for the complete 12-hour mission endurance in addition to permitting use of the complete 1000 m depth ranking.
Beforehand, the requirement for the car to return to the floor to replace real-world place utilizing International Positioning System (GPS), meant that the deepest that the AUV had labored was 100 m, as something deeper was too inefficient with the time spent diving and surfacing to replace the place in deeper waters.
“The day resulted in a number of milestones for UTEC when it comes to AUV operations with these formally being the deepest dives that we’ve accomplished with the Gavia. It was additionally the primary time the AUV has been positioned with USBL aiding. We’re trying ahead to aiding additional purchasers with their deepwater survey and positioning necessities,” mentioned Paul Barry, Nation Supervisor for Australia at UTEC.
