Multi-Initiative and Latent Communications-Tolerant Controller for a Clean Uncrewed Surface Vehicle Tasked to Environmental Assessments

The outcome of the Project is an intelligent uncrewed surface vehicle or USV (free-swimming robot) that can deploy an underwater remotely operated vehicle or ROV (robot tethered to the surface vehicle) to survey and inspect the submerged infrastructure of offshore wind farms. Its advantages to Canada include its much smaller carbon footprint compared to the 20 – 28 m length ships that support offshore ROV operations. This integrated USV-ROV robot is also more economical and thus accessible to offshore wind farms compared to surface ships that provide the same service. This ultimate reduces an important recurring cost for offshore Canadian wind farmers and may encourage more wind farms to be established.
HydroSurv (headquartered in the UK) is the industrial partner of this collaboration. HydroSurv wants to create a technical development branch in Nova Scotia Canada at the Centre for Ocean Venture Entrepreneurship. The collaboration is a component of HydroSurv’s contribution to an approved Oceans Supercluster Project entitled: “AROWIND – Autonomous Remote Offshore Wind Inspection, Navigation and Deployment”.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mae L. Seto

Student:

Partner:

Hydrosurv

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: