ARV-i Resident Underwater Drone
Autonomous. Resident. Intelligent.
The ARV-i, the next generation of underwater monitoring technology, designed by Boxfish Robotics and powered by Krona SubSea. This cutting-edge autonomous underwater resident vehicle offers a new approach to large area or repetitive monitoring, including industrial sites monitoring, reef and artificial reef monitoring, invasive species monitoring and more.
The ARV-i operates fully autonomously and tetherless, guided by advanced programming and onboard intelligence that allow it to locate and inspect underwater environments. When its mission is complete or its battery runs low, ARV-i autonomously returns to its proprietary docking station, where it wirelessly recharges and transmits valuable data collected during mission.
Built to endure the depths and challenging conditions, the ARV-i is an underwater resident AUV, capable of spending months submerged, continuously monitoring your underwater assets on its own. By removing the need for human operations, the ARV-i system delivers precise visual and sensor payload data while significantly lowering costs.
Benefits of Resident Surveying
Continuous Monitoring
ARV-i provides offshore data and insights without the need for unscheduled human intervention, keeping you ahead of the game!
Enhanced Safety
No more risky dives!
Resident surveying enhancing safety and reducing the risk of accidents.
Cost-Effective Operations
Resident surveying with the ARV-i reduces operational costs and boosts efficiency of your operations and assets maintenance.
Environmental Sustainability
Resident surveying supports environmental sustainability by minimising the ecological footprint of offshore operations, reducing emissions, and preserving marine life.
How It Works
1. Offshore Installation
The ARV-i and its dock are designed to work ARV-i and ARV-i Dock Features together seamlessly. The dock is installed offshore and connected to a solar and communications buoy or the mainland via a robust subsea fibre optic and power cable, ensuring uninterrupted operations and connectivity.
2. Missions from the Mainland
The ARV-i operates from the dock based on commands and missions given from the mainland, enabling precise and efficient underwater missions without the need for sending vessels or humans offshore.
3. Smart Docking
The ARV-i autonomously recognises the dock using its advanced cameras and navigation systems. Once it approaches, it positions itself precisely within the dock for charging and data transfer.
4. Wireless Charging and Data Transfer
After docking the ARV-i wireless charges, ensuring it’s always ready for its next mission. Simultaneously, the dock facilitates seamless data transfer from the ARV-i to the mainland, enabling data analysis and monitoring without the need for human presence offshore. After charging and data transfer are complete, the ARV-i undocks and embarks on its next underwater mission.
Features
Technical Specifications (Drone)
General details
- Presssure vessel material: Hard anodised aluminium alloy
- Dome Material: Acrylic
- Thruster layout: eight 3D vectored
- Manoeuvrability: 6 Degrees of Freedom
- Fault-tolerant design allows for continued operation even with a failed thruster
- Dockable design with inbuilt wireless connector
- Range up to 6km
- Depth rating: 300m or 600m
- Operating temperature: -10˚C to +45˚C
Camera system
Front triple camera head
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Sony 4K main camera
- Stereo machine vision cameras
Rear camera options
- IP Network Camera, machine vision camera, or stereo machine vision cameras
Lighting
- Forward: 2 x 10,000 lumen, high CRI, dimmable
- Optional rear lights
Physical specifications
- Dimensions (l/w/h): 750mm/ 645mm/ 340mm
- Weight (salt water ballast installed): 28kg
Mission Planning Software
- Simple mission generation using grid pattern or simple transects
- Highly customisable interface (pitch, speed, lighting, distance from objects, depth, altitude at any waypoint and multiple USBL beacons)
- Start/Stop image collection, video capture, or sensor data at any waypoint
- Obstacle avoidance and backtracking
Power & Endurance
- Dive time up to 10 hours (depending on conditions)
- Lithium polymer onboard batteries
- Battery capacity: 600Wh
- Wireless charging underwater or surface charging
- Dock power options: cable | solar buoy
Integrated sensors
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Depth sensor
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IMU
- Compass
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Internal pressure
-
Temperature and humidity monitoring
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Battery voltage
- Leak detection
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Thruster failure detection
- USBL
- DVL
External connections
- Three Boxfish free standard ports
- Boxfish patented tether connector
- Network: RS485, RS422, RS232 and Ethernet
- Power: 12V @ 50W and 24V @ 50W
Optional add-ons
Navigation
- Oculus Imaging sonar (about multibeam sonar)
Environmental Sensors
- miniCTD
- turbidity
- chlorophyll
- fluorometer
- DO
- pH
- hydrophone
More information
- Distinguishable features
- Permanent subsea residency with remote, shore-based control and data monitoring
- Asset and infrastructure following and avoidance
- Autonomous path following and docking
- Applications:
- Underwater observation and inspection, including offshore energy, ports, environmental monitoring
Use Cases
Mocean Energy
Mocean Energy designs renewable ocean wave energy converters. The company built and sea-tested a prototype model, the Blue X, off the coast of Orkney, Scotland for about a year.
The ARV-i Dock has been installed at a depth of 50 meters, 20 km offshore, on their subsea battery pack. The ARV-i vehicle was able to leave the dock, conduct some inspections of the installation and the surrounding environment, and return to the dock.
Such installation significantly improves the understanding of asset conditions without the need to send people offshore, thereby reducing costs and environmental impact.
What repetitive tasks do you have for the resident underwater robot?
We would love to hear from you. Just visit our contact page to drop us a message and we will get back to you in 24 hours!