TideOpsROV and uncrewed vessel complete trials in Plymouth
ACUA Ocean and Forssea Robotics combined the Pioneer USV and ARGOS ROV in operations controlled from shore.
A three-week campaign in Plymouth, UK, brought together ACUA Ocean’s Pioneer USV and Forssea Robotics’ ARGOS ROV. On September 28, the companies announced the completion of more than 40 launches, with deployment, operation and recovery controlled remotely from shore.
The ARGOS used in the trials weighs 170 kg. Sonardyne provided positioning support, and the integration was carried out under a contract with the European Space Agency.
The campaign evaluated a combination intended for subsea inspection and light intervention. These were integration trials demonstrating that the equipment can operate together; they do not establish that every offshore inspection can dispense with crewed vessels.