UTEC demonstrates Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) ready for launch in Perth, Australia

16/01/23

During December 2022, UTEC, a Geo-services brand in Acteon’s Data and Robotics division, invited clients to a live AUV demonstration at the Bhagwan Marine facility in Henderson, Western Australia. UTEC was carrying out a two-week training course for field technicians, and clients had shown an interest in receiving a live demonstration of the units which had recently been relocated to Australia to meet growing market requirements. Attendees witnessed the cost-effective alternative solution to conventional monitoring and survey performed by a dedicated survey vessel. The demonstration highlighted the high-resolution data from low logistic equipment that offers flexibility while carrying out trenching and pipeline surveys without the need for specialist and dedicated support vessels.

A second event the following day was delivered to a different group of clients in Perth CBD, and included presentations covering UTEC’s AUV solution, reflecting on their journey so far in building a sustainable future from developing low-cost solutions for survey, and adapting decades of subsea expertise to new offshore wind projects installation and operation. Clients were able to get some hands-on insights into the AUV assembly with UTEC’s service technicians.

“Having received three complete GAVIA systems in Perth a couple of months earlier, we delivered an intensive two-week training course for our local team which included a week of onshore classroom training and familiarisation followed by a week of in water practical training. The course was well received by the attendees, and the second week culminated in a live demo for interested clients where we launched the AUV using our custom-designed launch and recovery system (LARS) and sent the vehicle on a 30-minute mission. The team demonstrated how we can monitor and track the vehicle’s progress and status throughout the mission and ended with the recovery of the vehicles using the LARS.”, said Paul Barry – Country Manager – Australia, UTEC.