Autonomous/Uncrewed/Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) have made their way into the hydrographic industry in recent years. We see them in all shapes and sizes. Some are large USVs designed and suited for open water operations, others are designed primarily for operation in more protected environments like lakes, inland waterways and harbours. They come at different development stages. Some are remotely piloted others can complete pre-planned missions while some can even design their mission on-the-fly based on data real-time data. With recent technological advancements some can even avoid obstacles without human intervention. As the U in USV would suggest, by nature, the vessel is uncrewed. So, essentially there is no on-board crew to suffer from fatigue, no on-board HSE considerations, no requirement for coffee machines heaters or any facilities. This potentially opens various remote rolls, lowers our overall carbon footprint and reduces risks associated with working offshore. The USVs of today are to a wide extent battery driven and try to limit the number of batteries they carry, essentially more weight reduces endurance so finding that mean is important. On the other side of the scale, smaller vehicles with reduced power tend to produce more motion which largely impacts the distribution of survey data. NORBIT have mitigated some of the challenges mentioned above. With the introduction of the new NORBIT iWBMSh Stabilised, this instrument is a fully stabilised multibeam system in an unprecedented small form factor. The NORBIT iWBMSh Stabilised has extremely low power requirements that doesn’t compromise the endurance and capability of the USV. This presentation will outline the technical solutions and advantages obtained with the NORBIT iWBMSh Stabilised. It will present data examples outlining the effect of using a fully stabilised multibeam systen.

Exploring the deep ocean is a risky task that involves efforts in coordination, high costs, and sophisticated technologies. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have been proven to be the ideal tool for underwater mapping in the deep ocean because they take measurements close to the seafloor. Though difficulties linked to the underwater environment and the technical complexity of the vehicles are common, the integration of new sensors can elevate that complexity and challenge engineers and AUV operators. To advance underwater drone technologies and investigate the seafloor of California in high definition, the AUV team of the Hydrographic Research Center of the University of Southern Mississippi has deployed their most recent integrated AUVs Eagle Ray and Mola Mola for mapping operations in the Pacific Ocean. This work consists of discussing the challenges faced in this expedition, including the preparation before the cruise, mobilization, and operations, especially the hydrographic and engineering aspects of this effort. The task took part in the two last expeditions of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer of 2023. Efforts resulted in improved performance of both vehicles. A new depth record for AUV Eagle Ray was set, and the final products, such as high-resolution bathymetry, backscatter, multibeam water column, sub-bottom profiles, magnetic anomalies responses, high-definition images of the seafloor and water column were acquired.

Hydrographic surveyors have traditionally relied on multiple systems to gather wide-swath bathymetric data in conjunction with high-resolution SSS imagery. This conventional approach leads to long survey mission durations and increased costs. Additionally, collecting inputs from multiple platforms impacts processing time and the fidelity of the fused data. To address the disadvantages of this established methodology, Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) has developed an Advanced Hydrographic Solution, for the WAM-V® class of USV platforms, capable of performing autonomous hydrographic surveys from a single cohesive system utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI). A WAM-V® equipped with a hydrographic sensor suite [Side Scan Sonar (SSS), Forward Look Sonar (FLS), and Multi Beam Echosounder (MBES)] and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) software is a safe, scalable, and cost-effective solution. The vehicle, sensors, and software are all Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) offerings that when integrated together can successfully conduct advanced hydrographic and bathymetric surveys. The MBES produces wide-swath bathymetric data, by covering a large area in a single pass. The SSS, towed at an optimal altitude above the sea floor, provides incredibly detailed imagery of the seafloor and seabed features. A key component to enable this SSS employment is a customized Launch and Recovery System designed for autonomous vehicles and operations. The most important component of the Advanced Hydrographic Solution is the AI based ATR software (w/ machine learning) that performs the SSS and MBE bathymetric data fusion. The ATR Software, originally developed for military Mine Counter Measure application, has been upgraded and trained to detect hydrographic significant objects and features. Snippets of ATR detections are merged with the high-resolution bathymetric data to form one cohesive overview. To make this a true autonomous hydrographic system, the Integrated FLS ensures the vehicle can navigate and avoid obstacles with confidence, all while efficiently collecting data. The FLS also provides information about the terrain ahead of the USV back to the SSS LARS, so the sonar can maintain an optimal altitude above the sea floor OPT’s WAM-V USV with an Advanced Hydrographic Solution will save time and money while improving the efficiency of each hydrographic survey with streamlined operations and superior results.

In response to the escalating demand for data collection on diverse platforms, Kongsberg Discovery introduces an innovative method to streamline remote surveys, offering not only a solution for data acquisition but also a transformative approach to workforce training. The normalization of remote work during the pandemic has paved the way for a strategic opportunity to extend this paradigm to remote operations, promising increased efficiency in data collection and fostering diversity within the workforce. Employing the SIS Remote software, Kongsberg has meticulously developed a comprehensive workflow that facilitates the remote operation of data acquisition and monitoring for EM multibeam systems. Seamless communication is established through various telecommunication systems, including the Kongsberg MBR - Marine Broadband Radio. This cutting-edge workflow has been successfully implemented by a diverse array of customers in South America, conducting surveys on platforms such as Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), VOOP, or small survey boats in remote areas. A showcase of several exemplary fieldwork projects will illustrate the practical application of this methodology. One notable instance took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in collaboration with the Hydrographic Service of the country. In this case, the workflow was seamlessly executed from an opportunity vessel, entirely operated from a meeting room. Simultaneously, an automated post-processing software onboard the vessel was utilized for the automated processing and generation of S-100 charts, exemplifying the efficiency and adaptability of the solution.

Offshore wind development will be a large part of the seascape along the Atlantic coast of the United States. There are 930,777 hectares of continental shelf leases proposed for offshore wind development by 2030 and another 7.3 million ha are being planned for future leases. These areas will have local and regional ecological and socioeconomic effects that have yet to be fully characterized and will adversely impact recurring scientific surveys critical for management. Use of uncrewed and remote-sensing systems capable of safe deployment in wind energy areas will be critical tools for scientific understanding. This paper will present results from a recent 20-day autonomous fisheries research survey, conducted remotely over the horizon, in three wind farm sites off the coast of New England, United States with a sensor payload dedicated to fisheries research - SeapiX 3D multibeam echosounder, EK80 single beam echosounders and ADCP. In addition, this paper will highlight the challenges that were addressed and efficiencies gained (in terms of reduced CO2 emissions, improved safety, reduced cost and personnel at sea, etc.) by deploying an autonomous platform compared to traditional manned surveys.