Second Offshore Surveyor AUV for UTEC Survey
Teledyne Gavia, Iceland, has delivered a second Gavia Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to UTEC Survey of Houston, Texas, USA, to be used for commercial survey applications. UTEC Survey received its first Gavia AUV in mid-2011. UTEC conducted successful initial surveys utilising the Gavia in South America in the fall of 2011, triggering the second order.
Both Gavia vehicles owned by UTEC Survey include the full survey suite of a 500kHz GeoSwath module from GeoAcoustics, a Teledyne Benthos sub-bottom profiler (SBP), a Marine Sonic Technologies side-scan sonar, and a camera system. For optimal navigation, the vehicles are equipped with a Kearfott T24 Inertial Navigation System (INS), partnered with a Teledyne RDI Workhorse Doppler Velocity Log (DVL).
UTEC Survey was initially introduced to the Gavia AUV through a cooperative agreement with the University of Delaware’s Coastal Sediments, Hydrodynamics & Engineering Lab (CSHEL), where associate professor Dr Art Trembanis has been performing research with the University’s Gavia AUV since 2008. Partnering with the University of Delaware allowed UTEC to observe and familiarise themselves with the performance of the Gavia system prior to placing an order.
Teledyne Gavia’s 'Offshore Surveyor' is increasingly being utilised by commercial survey companies where the low logistics approach and modular design of the Gavia, coupled with a 1,000m depth rating allow for considerable cost savings in the survey role when compared to traditional means. Utilising costly vessels with ROVs or towed assets, or larger AUVs that require the presence of a large surface vessel and which have a considerable shipboard footprint give the Gavia AUV an advantage in the marketplace.
