HonuWorx has acquired a VALOR ROV from manufacturer Rovtech Solutions, which it plans to deploy as part of its Loggerhead subsea robotics service.
Construction of the first commercial Loggerhead pilot system is due to start in Aberdeen later this year, with readiness for offshore commercial tests in 2027.
The VALOR is an inspection-class vehicle that can be equipped with a wide range of tools and sensors previously limited to large electro-hydraulic ROVs. HonuWorx’s cloud-control architecture should allow the vehicle to be controlled "over the horizon" in a similar fashion to airborne drones.
Previously, the company conducted a full-scale prototype trial of Loggerhead offshore Canada, deploying an ROV from an autonomous submersible "mothership" platform with the system controlled remotely from shore.
As an all-electric uncrewed system, it could potentially bring substantial reductions in emissions, costs and risks of subsea robotics operations, the company claims.
Early last year, HonuWorx, with the support of an Offshore Wind Growth Partnership development grant, developed and tested HonuMove, a cloud-based service for controlling and supervising ROVs.
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