University’s Falcon Gets Smart
The UK-based Heriot-Watt University has successfully integrated SeeByte CoPilot with their Seaeye Falcon 1256, an observation-class ROV. With assistance from Heriot-Watt University’s Ocean Systems Laboratory personnel, the SeeByte team integrated and tuned the system to operate with a Teledyne RDI Workhorse Navigator 600kHz DVL. The work was conducted over a two day period including testing in Heriot-Watt University’s wave tank. This configuration can be used with other Seaeye Falcon systems.
Professor Yvan Petillot, head of Research at the Sensors, Signals, and Systems Institute, commented that SeeByte’s CoPilot provides them a real-time input to their navigation and waypoint engine. This means electric manipulators can be deployed and the researchers can develop coupled control algorithms as well as adaptive control routines. This is a fantastic resource for the PhD students. It will also add value to colleagues on the life sciences school, helping them conduct repetitive geo-located surveys.
CoPilot is an easy-to-use, plug-and play software that makes piloting any ROV a much simpler task. CoPilot permits pilot controlled auto-transit and stop-and-hover, whilst providing automated sonar tracking and movement relative to a target. CoPilot is can be retrofitted to any ROV system and is available from the factory with VideoRay, Seatronics and SMD.