Researchers from the University of Exeter have tested a new sea-going robot that can map the seabed using its own intelligence which could prove favorable for offshore industry.
The robot, a C-Enduro model produced by ASV global, with the size of a small car is powered by solar and wind energy and has the capacity to travel at sea for up to three months over a range of 4,000 miles.
It has a self-righting hull and has been built to operate in all marine environments.
The C-Enduro, which has been tested off Argyll, UK, has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of data collection by removing the need for traditional survey vessels and researchers believe it may produce more accurate data, according to the University of Exeter.
Peter Challenor , from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, who, together with his team, tested test a computer algorithm that allows the autonomous surface vehicle to collect data at sea without any human intervention at the Oban-based Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), said:
“This has been designed for gathering data at less cost and will be useful to the offshore industry and in scientific research. We are hoping that once our algorithm has been tested we will be able to licence this technology and convince people to start using it in earnest.”
The project is a collaboration between Exeter University, the Met Office and Marine SouthEast, a non-profit organisation working in the marine sector.
The C-Enduro is part of the UK’s Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) group, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.