The ESCABVENTS project, developed by the company IQUA Robotics in collaboration with the Zamakona Yards shipyard, has successfully concluded its proof of concept tests, demonstrating the viability of using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
The ESCABVENTS project, developed by the company IQUA Robotics in collaboration with the Zamakona Yards shipyard, has successfully concluded its proof of concept tests, demonstrating the viability of using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for naval inspection tasks.
This initiative, integrated into the Sail2future project, seeks to improve efficiency and safety in the preventive maintenance of vessels. The project has been funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU through the PERTE NAVAL aid managed by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
The research has focused on overcoming the limitations of current methods, which usually rely on divers or tethered robots (ROVs). The use of an autonomous vehicle like the Sparus II AUV allows for systematic hull scanning without direct intervention from an operator in piloting.Throughout the project, several key technical capabilities have been validated:
- Adaptive tracking: The vehicle uses a multibeam sonar to detect the hull profile in real-time, adjusting its navigation to maintain a constant distance.
- Systematic navigation: The system executes adaptive "lawnmower" type trajectories that ensure complete and uniform coverage of the inspected area to collect hull images.
- Operational safety: Protocols have been implemented that allow the vehicle to perform automatic escape maneuvers
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