Louis Dreyfus TravOcean Orders Two Saab Seaeye Leopards
Specialist submarine cable installation company Louis Dreyfus TravOcean, France, has ordered two Saab Seaeye Leopards for touchdown monitoring and support. The pioneering Leopard work vehicle, with its 11 thrusters and iCON intelligent control system, will provide TravOcean with a stable work platform that is unrivalled amongst ROVs – particularly in strong currents.
Greater flight stability under variable loads is delivered by the iCON system - including pitch and roll stabilisation – to give stable flight even with large tools and sensors deployed.
ICON independently manages each device on the vehicle, including auto redundancy to keep the ROV working even with multiple equipment damage.
This independent control comes from relocating the brains of the system into sensors and actuators around the vehicle - having refined the main electronics into an intelligent power distribution and data hub. The user also gets greater information and maintenance is far simpler and quicker.
Free from centralised electronics, the Leopard’s distributed intelligence allows for systems to be changed or added without the need to partially dismantle the vehicle. It also offers building-block simplicity for system reconfiguration, along with remote internet access for upgrades and support.
The chassis has been designed with rapid reconfiguration and easy maintenance in mind. A large open payload bay within the vehicle allows for ample tooling and survey sensors to be installed rapidly on sliding trays.
Its one tonne through-frame lift capability and four point docking system for tooling skids allows more demanding payloads to be added.