Page 38: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2021)

AUTONOMY

Autonomy:

Inside the building of Ocean In? nity’s

Armada Fleet

All images: Ocean In? nity

Back in 2017, Ocean In? nity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey. Now the ? rm is taking the use of remote, robotic systems a signi? cant step further.

By Elaine Maslin ack in 2017, Ocean In? nity made a novel move; board, including Dan Hook, who was behind the UK’s deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles ASV Ltd., an early developer of USVs now owned by (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single ves- L3Harris. What we realized, Hook says, is that small USV

B sel, vastly increasing the ground that could be systems could only do so much so, while there was take covered in a single survey. Now the ? rm is taking the use of up in the defense sector, for mine and submarine hunting, remote, robotic systems a signi? cant step further. other sectors were slower to adopt such systems beyond

As we enter 2021, US-UK based marine robotics ? rm inland, lake or coastal surveys.

Ocean In? nity is launching the start of what will become a “One of the limitations we observed in existing USVs was ? eet of completely uncrewed ocean going vessels, or USVs. that you could only really deploy one type of sensor or go

They will host and deploy other robotic systems, includ- out for a week at a time,” he says, which meant they could ing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and AUVs, as well only do so much. “In building Armada, we really tried to as towed systems and full ocean depth survey equipment. address that. The biggest change is scale. A 21 m vessel can

The ? rst two in what’s being called the Armada ? eet will be carry multiple sensors, the right type of ROVs and the right launched early next year ready for commercial operations in type of sensors and winches that customers need.” the North Sea in summer 2021 and an initial 17 are planned. The initial vessels will come in at 21 m and 36 m long.

The company has brought some known experience on- All will come with a standard ? t of permanently mounted 38 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2021

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