Autonomous Pipeline Inspection Uses SubC Imaging’s Rayfin Camera
The Xplorer AUV solution is an untethered, more autonomous vehicle with the goal of being able to travel 100 Km and down to 200 m water depth
Included in Xplorer’s payload is SubC Imaging’s Rayfin camera, which is programmable and runs an open-source API
Looking to make pipeline inspection easier and more cost efficient, a team from HiveGround in Thailand, under a project initiated by AI & Robotics Ventures (ARV), designed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) from scratch. The Xplorer AUV solution is expected to soon be launched and HiveGround will be looking for commercial projects.
Included in Xplorer’s payload is SubC Imaging’s Rayfin smart camera. The subsea camera is programmable and runs an open-source API which will allow them to capture timelapse HD and 4K video and 4K digital stills without the need for real-time control.
The Future of Pipeline Inspections
Some of the pipelines can reach up to 50 Km between facilities. The current procedure for surveying all of that subsea infrastructure involves deploying a tethered ROV from a costly dynamically positioned (DP) vessel. The Xplorer AUV solution is an untethered, more autonomous vehicle with the goal of being able to travel 100 Km and down to 200 m water depth.
“With this method, we can use a small vessel which saves operational costs compared with using a work class ROV or using a larger vessel.” says Sompol Suntharasantic, an electrical engineer at HiveGround.
Read more about Xplorer and the pipeline inspection in the May 2020 edition of Marine Technology Reporter.
