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MTRMTR without tethers. SAABSeaeye’s Saber- dent vehicles is powerful. But it remains tooth has been a leader in this area start- a future vision. Today long-duration de- ing with a widely referenced demonstra- ployments of tethered sea? oor resident tion in Houston’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab vehicles are imminent, notably with in late 2016. Since then others have en- Eelume, an undersea vehicle blurring tered this space. Oceaneering unveiled the lines between AUV and ROV while its Freedom vehicle. This system is de- employing a distinctive architecture that signed to be multi-role with the ability supports modularity and maneuverabili- to execute survey and inspection tasks. ty. Looking something like its eel name-

It is intended to be housed in a dock- sake, this technology has begun offshore ing station installed on the sea? oor site proving trials for subsea-residence oper- where it will return for recharging. The ations. Eelume subsea-resident systems vision for such systems is to be installed were deployed at a Norwegian Science and left on the sea? oor for months. It & Technology University underwater combines the mechanical engineering test site in 360 m. water offshore Trond- challenges of making ROVs reliable heim during May 2019. The Eelume with software necessary for long-term robots were deployed to the sea-bed operability. These technology concepts with a docking garage and used to per- are slowly being developed and Ocea- form a number of inspection and light

C Worker 7 neering’s solution had advanced rapidly intervention tasks on the underwater test © L3 ASV to offer a market choice. site. These ? rst subsea-resident Eelume

The vision of wireless sea? oor resi- systems will operate in battery-powered,

See, Survey & Monitor 6IDEO