Kawasaki Successfully Completes AUV Verification Test in UK
Nov. 21, 2017
Tokyo, November 21, 2017 — Kawasaki Heavy
Industries, Ltd. announced today its successful completion of a
verification test for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in UK
waters.
With a focus on the growing demand for pipeline
maintenance in the offshore oil and gas fields, Kawasaki has been
developing leading-edge component technologies of AUVs utilizing
sophisticated underwater vehicle technologies fostered in-house over the
years, with support from a subsidization project by the Ministry of
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).*1
An AUV is capable of autonomously assessing and acting according to its surrounding conditions and circumstances while carrying out preassigned missions, which stands in contrast to the more widely used remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which needs a tether cable for its operation. As a result, AUVs can be operated without dedicated operators on the mother ship or special onboard equipment. Furthermore, tasks such as charging and transferring collected inspection data to the mother ship can be carried out while the AUV is underwater, which enables longer deployment time and reduces the frequency of launching and recovery work. These are expected to reduce the burden of the ship crew, offer greater safety, and reduce maintenance-related costs.
An AUV is capable of autonomously assessing and acting according to its surrounding conditions and circumstances while carrying out preassigned missions, which stands in contrast to the more widely used remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which needs a tether cable for its operation. As a result, AUVs can be operated without dedicated operators on the mother ship or special onboard equipment. Furthermore, tasks such as charging and transferring collected inspection data to the mother ship can be carried out while the AUV is underwater, which enables longer deployment time and reduces the frequency of launching and recovery work. These are expected to reduce the burden of the ship crew, offer greater safety, and reduce maintenance-related costs.
Unerwater Access to large-capacity optical communication operations -- The AUV verification test was carried out from
November 6 to 20, 2017 at The Underwater Centre, a marine testing and
training facility in Fort William, Scotland. Tests at sea used a
prototype AUV and a charging station, and included automated docking of
the AUV to the charging station, contactless charging, and
large-capacity optical communication operations.
During the testing period, representatives from
major oil and gas companies, underwater vehicle and equipment operating
companies, UK government organizations, UK subsea scientific societies
and other organizations interested in Kawasaki’s AUV development efforts
were invited to view demonstrations. Kawasaki received high praise from
the attendees in relevant fields, with many expressing hope for future
commercialization of the AUV.
Kawasaki plans to pursue full-scale development of
a pipeline-inspection AUV which utilizes the automated docking and
other component technologies tested in Scotland, as well as control
algorithms*2 being developed in cooperation with the UK's
Heriot-Watt University, with the aim of commercializing the AUV by the
end of FY 2020.
| *1 | AUV Technology Development for Marine Facility Maintenance and Improvements Project (FY 2013–17), a development-support subsidization project undertaken by MLIT to promote and facilitate the cultivation of technologies used in marine resource development efforts. | ||
| *2 | Theoretical formulas to enable the AUV to make judgments/decisions while estimating close-proximity underwater pipeline locations using multiple sensors. |
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