Dan Levett

Partnership secures funding to enhance robotics and data solution for seagrass mapping

HydroSurv has won funding from Innovate UK to continue working with the University of Plymouth to enhance its technique of using Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) to map seagrass coverage on the seabed.

Building on previous collaborations with the University and Valeport, the project aims to generate a comprehensive picture of seagrass meadows as well as to characterise the environment in which they are growing, enabling ecosystem health to be determined from the same survey campaign.

The project will see HydroSurv’s low impact, fully electric USV data acquisition platform developed further to deliver comprehensive, seagrass monitoring using an Acoustic Ground Discrimination System (AGDS) coupled with video and environmental data collection from new hull-mounted and underwater sensor arrays. These include two specialist cameras and a laser range finder, which is deployed to a constant altitude using an intelligently controlled cast winch on the HydroSurv REAV-28 USV.

A macro lens camera on the underwater skid will be lowered into sediment for close-up, hi-resolution photographs. Using an algorithm to ascertain grain size from the images, the type of ground in which the seagrass is growing can be determined. This enables stakeholders to monitor critical environmental parameters of seagrass habitats and to quantify meadow biomass and carbon sequestration potential, in turn informing better understanding of these habitats and their restoration.

The vessel’s sensor payload will also measure sound velocity, turbidity and chlorophyll levels, while machine learning algorithms, developed by the University, will objectively classify the seagrass beds using acoustic envelopes.

Processed data will be provided to coastal practitioners and scientists using an enhanced cloud-based data hosting and visualisation application developed by HydroSurv. This will enable them to create an enhanced picture of seagrass coverage, density and canopy height alongside improved environmental measurements and ground truthing video files, making actionable seagrass data wholly accessible.

HydroSurv COO, Ian Godfrey, commented: “The use of a non-invasive USV system to work in these sensitive environments reduces the risk of damage to the very habitat we are trying to protect. Beyond that, improved accuracy, low carbon emissions and reduced cost make uncrewed platforms an attractive proposition for survey and characterisation of seagrass meadows, even in waters that are difficult to access. HydroSurv is focused on providing a turnkey solution covering robotics and data processing in a single package that is readily accessible to industry stakeholders.”

The six-month project will culminate in a system demonstration involving key UK natural capital stakeholders actively involved in seagrass conservation projects and strategy, including DEFRA (co-funder), Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Dr Tim Scott, Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth said: “Collecting and processing ground truth images of seagrass habitats is currently an essential, but costly and time-consuming, activity. This project will dramatically improve our ability to monitor these critical ecosystems effectively and economically, facilitating the collection of regular and spatially comprehensive datasets that would not be possible without leveraging marine autonomy and advanced data analysis techniques.”

by Dan Levett

TDI-Brooks adds Manta-200 CPT to their geotechnical capabilities

TDI-Brooks will be adding a Manta-200 CPT System to their geotechnical capabilities. The TDI-Brooks’ Manta-200 Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) system is suitable for almost any project in shallow water up to 150 meters. The Manta-200 represents the latest generation Cone Penetration Test (CPT) system for determining offshore seabed soil conditions.

Either deployed from TDI-Brooks’ DP vessel or off a charter DP vessel with a large 50-ton crane, the Manta-200 is designed for reliable results. During CPT operation the Manta is controlled from the surface with a real time link over a combined power and communication umbilical. Data can be viewed in real time allowing operators to manage the push and react to local sediment conditions to provide the highest quality data to the greatest depths possible.

The CPT system is powered by a unique Continuous Drive System (CDS) that was designed with a clear focus on durability and high production. It also guarantees uninterrupted penetration of the cone. Constant tension (CT) winches are used to support deployment at the working depth. The Manta-200 CPT system is a modular design capable of delivering results on even the most challenging of projects. Both casings and tubes can be operated simultaneously.

The Manta-200 CPT, along with the other TDI-Brooks’ suite of innovative geotechnical tools, are for soil sampling and measurement and also include box corers (BC), piston corers (PC), gravity corers (GC), jumbo piston corers (JPC), vibracorers (VC/pVC), cyclic t-bar instrument (TBAR), deep-reaching Shelby tube samplers (SPLR), and piezocone penetrometers including CPT-Stinger and Gravity CPT tools (gCPT).

by Dan Levett

Voyis Imaging Inc. chosen as the camera package for HII REMUS vehicles

HII is a global engineering and defense technologies provider and recognized worldwide as America’s largest shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable an all-domain force. HII creates advanced unmanned solutions for defense, marine research and commercial applications. Serving customers in more than 30 countries, HII provides design, autonomy, manufacturing, testing, operations and sustainment of unmanned systems, including unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

With the goal of further improving the autonomous capabilities of its vehicles, HII has selected Voyis Imaging Systems as the standard camera option for all REMUS UUVs (REMUS 100/300/620/6000).

Voyis has developed the Recon UUV module, consisting of a highly advanced 4K stills camera and extremely efficient, high output external light bar, that enhances all REMUS platforms imaging capabilities in any operational situation. The Recon camera module offers extremely crisp stills imagery with on-the-sensor data processing for real-time, highly optimized datasets that improve in mission autonomy and analysis capabilities. These enhancements include improving image quality using image undistortion, true color correction, and image light leveling for consistent, actionable datasets available in-mission.

With Voyis cameras, navies are capable of completing the identification stage of MCM (mine countermeasure) operations, and improve target localization for neutralization/recovery completely submerged using REMUS platforms, improving operational covertness and efficiency. The high resolution imagery captured with Voyis’ Recon module provide increased confidence in subsea missions, ensuring REMUS customers receive safe, reliable, and efficient operations.

by Dan Levett

Another armoured cable for research vessel

NOVACAVI has recently designed and manufactured a special coax double armoured cable for the German BSH Bundesamt für Seeschiffahrt & Hydrographie, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany. We have been asked to fulfil their requirements and to supply a custom cable solution for their VWFS Deneb research vessel.

We have been glad to develop another coaxial cable for oceanographic use enriching our range of variety of sizes containing either single or multiple coaxial elements in a reliable solution for demanding application tasks underwater and in harsh environments.

Specialist in custom cables design and manufacturing since 1975, NOVACAVI will showcase sample of this cable together with other selected custom cables on stand F12 at Ocean Business  2023, Southampton next 18-20th April.

by Dan Levett

OceanWise deliver Data Governance and Marine Spatial Data Training as part of the GEOMAC course at the UK Hydrographic Office

OceanWise’s Dr Mike Osborne recently delivered a short course as part of the latest Geospatial Marine Analysis and Cartography (GEOMAC) course held at the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton. The course, ‘Data Governance and Marine SDI’, underlines the importance of data governance in increasing efficiencies and reducing risk when creating and maintaining traditional and e-navigational products and services.

The GEOMAC is a Nippon Foundation funded initiative under the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Capacity Building (CB) Programme and is open to individuals from all national hydrographic offices and maritime authorities who wish to expand their knowledge and understanding in this area. The programme “aims to provide an education programme for young nautical cartographers with cutting-edge knowledge and connects the nautical cartography community… The skill and knowledge of this community contributes to solving regional and global challenges beyond the SOLAS obligation”.

Why is data management important to hydrography?
In recent years, the importance of data management to hydrography generally, and as a fundamental building block to marine cartography and source data receipt and assessment, has been highlighted. In addition, the concept of a Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) is increasingly being used to describe how marine geospatial datasets, including hydrographic datasets, are created, and how the data products based on them are maintained and made available to users. Although one of the drivers behind MSDI is to make hydrographic data more readily available for activities unrelated to navigation (e.g., Marine Spatial Planning), it is now accepted that the principles and components that make up MSDI can be applied across all other application areas, including in support of e-navigation.

OceanWise Training:
OceanWise was asked to supplement the GEOMAC course by introducing students to data governance theory and practices used in other geographical domains and application areas and how best practice data governance is fundamental to supporting the use of new technologies (e.g., machine learning, autonomous vessels, smart ports) and to making hydrography relevant more widely.

The current GEOMAC cohort included students from 15 countries including from West Africa, Middle East, South America and New Zealand. Particularly satisfying was that included in this group were students from IHO member states that have not participated in IHO MSDI related activities previously.

“[The course was] very helpful and opened my vision greatly”; “Instructor was top of his game. Great understanding of the topic and good delivery”; “Thank you for your time and effort – I will use all the knowledge when I return to my country”.

Several examples of student feedback from Dr Mike Osborne training in 2022

by Dan Levett

BeeX, Sulmara and the University of Strathclyde secure international grant funding for a Targeted Autonomous Inspection Service for offshore wind

An international consortium has been awarded a prestigious Enterprise Singapore - Innovate UK grant to develop a next generation autonomous structural integrity inspection capability.

Autonomous robotics specialist BeeX, offshore survey and inspection specialist Sulmara, and structural integrity specialists at the University of Strathclyde share a vision to deliver an autonomous low carbon solution for windfarm integrity monitoring. Ultimately the end goal is a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) solution drastically reducing the resources required to conduct essential underwater inspections and asset integrity assessment of offshore wind turbines.

This solution would contribute to meeting Europe’s net-zero commitments by slashing energy requirements and emissions related to inspection activities in the wind sector. Large diesel fuelled and carbon intensive vessels are currently required to inspect energy assets, making the introduction of optimised, automated, lower carbon solutions a crucial part of any net-zero future.

Assisted by the grant funding, BeeX will be delivering their next-generation Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV) specifically for Offshore Wind; carrying specific survey & inspection payloads suitable for monopile and jacket inspections, piloted by artificial intelligence to automate inspection tasks & deliver repeatable efficient inspection of windfarm monopiles from seabed to the air water interface. This HAUV platform will be enhanced with new features including enhanced endurance and improved sensor payload from critical learnings discovered from BeeX experience with their flagship HAUV, A.IKANBILIS on the Nordsee One windfarm, offshore Germany last year.

Sulmara’s scope will define the vertical asset inspection capabilities and sensor payloads needed for this next generation HAUV to meet the demands of the offshore wind sector as well as managing field trials and demonstration of the system alongside BeeX in 2024, with the ultimate aim to integrate the HAUV into a bespoke Unmanned Surface Vessel. The inspection missions will be optimised based on research by the University of Strathclyde, in developing a Structural Integrity framework to generate risk-based, fit-for-purpose, inspection missions that will feed into the HAUV automated mission control software.

Offshore wind is a critical and rapidly expanding sector with UK government targets to deliver 5 GW of floating wind by 2030. Underwater inspections are essential in ensuring its safety. In many cases, these inspections are also mandatory by governments and financial backers. Operations and Maintenance Costs at offshore wind farms remain the biggest operational cost. The costs are largely driven largely by the use of large, specialised Dynamically Positioned (DP2) vessels to deploy work-class remotely operated vehicles (WROVs). With low carbon and reduced cost at the forefront of this project, it is clear that an HAUV hosted from an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), both optimised for the offshore wind sector can build on and improve the capabilities of the current Work Class ROVs hosted from larger crewed vessels.

BeeX chief executive officer, Grace Chia, said: “By 2025, we expect BeeX’s fully autonomous systems to help wind farm developers and operators reduce costs and risks to a fraction of today’s, from consenting to end-of-life. This grant funding is a critical piece of financing that unlocks the partners’ abilities to enable safer and clean energy for all, and we look forward to deployments at more wind farms across Europe.”

Kevin McBarron, CEO Sulmara added: “BeeX next generation HAUV combined with Sulmara USV hosting has the potential to be an industry game changer, cutting costs and drastically reducing carbon emissions.”

Professor Feargal Brennan, Head of Department for Naval Architecture Ocean and Marine Engineering at Strathclyde said: “The climate emergency demands that we apply the very best innovation to ensure better underwater data collection methodologies. We look forward to delivering this research and to seeing our innovations applied to achieve breakthroughs in remote subsea inspection.”

by Dan Levett