Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Verlume has provided an update on the RoboFish development, an autonomous underwater robot designed to move like a fish for offshore inspection tasks.
The ‘biomimetic’ autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), named RoboFish, comprises various modules with self-managed battery and actuator control for full-body, autonomous movement around underwater structures.
Researchers at the University of York’s Department of Electrical Engineering and the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering devised the initial system., with support from the EPSRC Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub.
According to Verlume, the limited accessibility, maneuverability and environmental impact of ROVs and some larger AUVs makes inspection of subsea structures complex, costly, and reliant on human input.
As offshore wind developments lead to rapid growth in offshore structures, robotic offshore inspections in harsh environments will need to become more autonomous and more cost-effective, the company added.
The initial RoboFish research consortium comprised Verlume, the two universities, PicSea, the Supergen ORE Hub, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and membership is now expanding.
The first prototype was completed in summer 2020 and work continues on improvements and new applications.
Verlume is developing an intelligent power system for charging RoboFish, and an intelligent battery management system, both designed for reliable, uninterrupted power supply on the seabed.
3/22/2022
