WAMS Acquires iXblue DriX USV to Expand Operational Capabilities
The newly created rental and services company WAMS has announced that it has added iXblue DriX Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) to its pool of equipment. Available for WAMS customers in Brazil, the DriX USV will increase operational performance for shallow-water hydrographic and geophysical surveys, LBL array box-in operations and ROV/AUV tracking for deepwater projects.
“We are fully confident that the marine data collection and subsea operations industries are undergoing a profound change due to the rising technologies of USVs and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs),” explained Elijah Egorov, survey operations supervisor at WAMS. “Always staying informed about the latest high-tech developments, we were fast to recognize iXblue DriX as a versatile and force-multiplying autonomous platform that will allow WAMS to perform bathymetric surveys up to ten times faster than traditional vessels and survey launches when using multiple DriX. iXblue USV will furthermore be a great asset in supporting our customers’ deepwater operations. DriX will radically reduce the time required to perform box-in operations, and significantly improve the accuracy of ROV and AUV subsea positioning and communication in challenging acoustic environments.”
“By investing in unmanned technologies such as DriX, WAMS is now expanding the capabilities of traditional survey equipment and leading the way towards more cost-efficient, safer and environmentally conscious offshore operations. This will be a great opportunity for companies that operate in the offshore market in Brazil, as they will get the best technology equipment along with greatly reduced operating costs,” Egorov added.
Remote-controlled and Supervised Autonomous Operations
With over 10,000 hours in operations around the world, iXblue DriX USV, along with its efficient launch and recovery system, is a seasoned asset in the environment of supervised autonomy. A true force-multiplier, DriX is able to conduct both remote-controlled and supervised autonomous operations (within visual range or over the horizon), and offers outstanding seakeeping and speed capabilities. Versatile and efficient, the unmanned platform performs extremely well in severe weather conditions and keeps downtime to a minimum compared to traditional survey vessels. Capable of hosting a wide range of payloads, DriX offers optimum conditions for high-quality data acquisition and subsea positioning in both shallow and deep waters.
“We are very optimistic about this beginning of a commercial relationship with iXblue and we are certain that it will be a lasting and profitable commercial partnership for both companies,” commented Waldeney Santos, commercial director of WAMS.
“By choosing to add our DriX USV to their services offer, WAMS is truly stepping up as an avant-garde company that will increase the productivity, efficiency and safety of their operations, while also lowering their overall HSE impact,” stated Thiago Montanari, sales manager at iXblue. “We want to thank WAMS for their trust in our autonomous technology and are looking forward to our continuous partnership with them and to seeing DriX roam the waters off the Brazilian coast.”
