Hydroid, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, will now offer the integration of Kongsberg Maritime's High Precision Acoustic Positioning (HiPAP) system into its family of REMUS AUVs. HiPAP technology will provide REMUS users a faster, more accurate way to obtain an AUV's exact position and to update the vehicle's navigation system.
The REMUS navigation system currently provides an accurate real-time estimate of its position, velocity, and heading, which permits the vehicle to autonomously self-navigate and to geographically reference and time stamp all data collected during a mission. If desired, the onboard navigation system may be aided by acoustic transponders that are located on the seafloor, or, in shallow waters, aiding may be provided by surfacing and obtaining a position update using the Global Positioning System (GPS). Kongsberg Maritime's HiPAP provides an additional means of aiding REMUS' navigation system by transmitting an independently established location, which is calculated by the HiPAP system on the surface and then sent to the submerged REMUS vehicle over an acoustic communication link.
"As our customers' trust and confidence in REMUS have grown over the past years, the need to track and communicate with our vehicles during a mission has diminished," said Christopher von Alt, President and one of the co-founders of Hydroid. "Today, many owners deploy their vehicles and set them free to execute their mission, returning to recover them six to 24 hours later at a pre-programmed location. However, some customers choose to stay in contact with and track their vehicles during a mission. The compatibility of Kongsberg Maritime's HiPAP system with REMUS is of interest to both groups."
HiPAP is a family of high precision acoustic position systems based on the Super Short Base Line principle. The system can provide precise 3D position to an acoustic transponder on the vehicle. When combined with heading, pitch, roll, yaw and ship position data, the positioning system can support the computation of the vehicle's subsea position in near real time.
The HiPAP information is used either to track the vehicle or to update and bind the vehicle's position if it is accurately time-stamped over the acoustic communication link. HiPAP's unique transducer technology and advanced digital signal processing form an ideal solution for obtaining an AUV's exact position at any time when it's in range of the ship.
The components of a HiPAP positioning system required to support REMUS consist of the surface vessel-mounted spherical acoustic array, the HiPAP processor, and a subsea transponder that is mounted on the REMUS vehicle.
"Hydroid has a proven track record of providing our customers with intelligent solutions for their needs in the field," added von Alt. "To that end, this upgraded capability will offer REMUS users a more efficient way of establishing and updating the position of their REMUS vehicles."