The Autonomous Aquatic Inspection and Intervention organization (A2I2) announced today that it has successfully demonstrated an underwater survey robot, scheduled for completion in 2021 month 3. The research and development project involves UK companies and is supported by Innovate UK (Innovate). Strategic Research Fund.

Rovco Ltd. leads the A2I2 consortium, which is developing technologies for offshore wind, nuclear energy, oil and gas, and other sectors. The partnership aims to improve safety by reducing risks when working in challenging and hazardous environments.

In month 8, Forth Engineering Ltd hosted nuclear trials of automated underwater systems at its headquarters in Cumbria, Northwest England, for Drop One. Collaborators stated that a second trial is now planned for early next year.

A2I2 multidisciplinary effort

Fourth, Rovco, D-RisQ Ltd., the UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and the University of Manchester have been developing autonomous underwater systems as part of a program that brings together expertise from multiple industries and academia.

Rovco has been supporting each A2I2 workflow through its artificial perception technology, including 3D computer vision, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), autonomous path planning, and scene understanding using machine learning. The Bristol-based company raised $650 million in month 1, stating that its intelligent data collection system can be integrated into any underwater tool to enhance its capabilities.

D-RisQ stated that it will bring advanced automated software development tools to developers of safety-critical, security-critical, and business-critical systems. The UK Malvern-based company uses these tools to develop decision-making software to enable A2I2 autonomous operation in compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

The University of Manchester is developing wireless underwater communication, which is claimed to eventually eliminate the need for tethers, allowing robots developed within A2I2 to operate more freely in hazardous environments.

Forth Engineering, headquartered in Maryport, Cleator Moor, and Barrow, claims to have earned a global reputation by collaborating to develop cutting-edge solutions for complex industrial challenges.

Forth Engineering demonstration cases

"Underwater robots are increasingly used in commercial and scientific applications for measurement and interaction with underwater assets and environments," said Forth Project Manager Peter Routledge. "The goal of the project is to develop underwater autonomous vehicles to improve safety and reduce the challenges of operating in hazardous environments."

A2I2's nuclear use case demonstrates how the technology can be used for offshore coring, wet nuclear storage pool surveys, and interaction.

Forth stated that it has integrated sonar to detect and avoid underwater obstacles, enabling the robot to be used near critical infrastructure. Additionally, it has developed technologies for launch and recovery, charging, and high-bandwidth communication for remotely operated vehicles (ROV).

Other recent projects by the company include the friction stir welding tracked robot (FSWbot), described as the world's first robot for internal pipeline repair and refurbishment, usable across various industries without halting production.

Forth also collaborated with partners to develop a pioneering Hullguard system to protect offshore floating installations from corrosion without using divers. Hullgard was successfully deployed for the first time in the North Sea.

To accelerate other collaborative systems, Forth is developing its 68, a 000 square foot facility. Based in Cleator Moor, it serves as an innovation hub for products such as FSWbot and A2I2. To address the COVID-19 pandemic, the company developed disinfection robots and provided disinfection cannons to help various organizations safely welcome employees and customers. During the lockdown, the charity Scrub Hub North West received free Cleator Moor office space from Forth, and the agency provided necessary equipment to local hospitals.