The Port of London deploys an all-electric survey vessel

The Port of London Authority (PLA) and University College of London (UCL) have unveiled an all-electric survey vessel that will support maritime safety, autonomy and robotics. The state-of-the-art platform was manufactured by Maritime Robotics, following a successful bid and award of a £263,000 grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council. It is equipped with the most advanced sonar and scanning system from technology manufacturer NORBIT, enabling data collection to create detailed maps of the riverbed. Research will be conducted in areas such as carbon reduction and habitat mapping.

The survey vessel will also facilitate research in coastal morphology, and can be used in situations where traditional survey boats may be unsafe or impractical. The battery-powered platform can be used in shallow waters, near to shore, and under and around sea structures. Remote operation of the vessel is possible due to its small size and manoeuvrability. The platform is more environmentally-friendly than traditional marine diesel or petrol-powered vessels.

The tidal Thames is the busiest inland waterway in Britain. Accurate and regularly updated riverbed data is essential for safe navigation. The survey vessel will enable hydrographics to carry out safe and sustainable surveys in previously inaccessible areas. Since 1999, the PLA Hydrographic team has partnered with UCL to deliver the International Hydrographic Organization-accredited Category A MSc in Geospatial Science, Hydrographic Surveying.The survey vessel will facilitate interdisciplinary research at UCL through collaborations between CEGE, UCL Mechanical Engineering and UCL Geography.

John Dillon-Leetch, Port Hydrographer, said: “We are delighted to be leading the way with UCL in the launch of this long-distance survey vessel… This is in line with two of our goals in our Thames Vision 2050 strategy, which we launched last year.” NORBIT’s John Fraser commented, “We are proud to support PLA and UCL in this project which demonstrates the importance of both technical innovation and practical application.” The survey vessel will transform how surveyors map and analyze data of the world’s riverbeds and seabeds while paving the way for a more sustainable future in the maritime sector. Remotely operated and autonomous survey vessels will provide a safer, more efficient and more versatile solution for underwater data collection.

Funded by a £263,000 grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the PLA and UCL have launched an all-electric, remotely operated survey vessel. The platform will facilitate PLA and UCL research in coastal morphology, carbon reduction, habitat mapping, and other areas of education and development in maritime safety, autonomy, and robotics. Because of its small size and maneuverability, the remote platform can be used in situations where traditional survey vessels would be impractical or unsafe, such as in shallow waters or near shore or around and under sea structures.

Accurate and regularly updated riverbed data is essential for safe navigation. The survey vessel will enable hydrographics to carry out safe and sustainable surveys in previously inaccessible areas. Since 1999, the PLA Hydrographic team has partnered with UCL to deliver the International Hydrographic Organization-accredited Category A MSc in Geospatial Science, Hydrographic Surveying. The survey vessel will facilitate interdisciplinary research at UCL through collaborations between CEGE, UCL Mechanical Engineering, and UCL Geography.

The survey vessel will transform how surveyors map and analyze data of the world’s riverbeds and seabeds while paving the way for a more sustainable future in the maritime sector. The advent and growing importance of remotely operated and autonomous survey vessels represent a significant shift in the hydrographic survey industry. By providing a safer, more efficient, more versatile, and more sustainable solution for underwater data collection, these vessels will transform the survey industry, while paving the way for a more technologically advanced and sustainable future in the maritime sector.


Source