Hydroid´s Remus 6000

The Remus 6000 AUV was designed and developed by a partnership between the Naval Oceanographic Office, the Office of Naval Research and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). The Hydroid Inc, is young company, which was founded in 2001 by the inventors of REMUS to commercialize their product and to allow this ultra-deepwater AUV technology to reach a wider market and to guarantee funding for continuous product development. The REMUS AUV is the product of over 15 years of leading edge research and development.

The REMUS 6000 is the deepwater version of the acclaimed Remus 100, lightweight, shallow water AUV and the Remus 600 deep water AUV. It contains the same proven software and electronic subsystems found in the REMUS 100 AUV, with a depth rating, endurance, and payload that allow for autonomous operations in up to 6000 meters of water.

It is a very versatile AUV, which can operate anywhere from 25 meters to 6000 meters, giving it a wide range of range of uses and the possibility to undertake various autonomous operations one mission. It operates using a refined Graphic User Interface (GUI) and also contains the same efficient and proven Vehicle Interface Program as the Remus 100.

This ultra-deepwater AUV can be configured to include a wide range of standard and custom sensors, according to mission requirements. It option of sensors goes from the standard sensors, such as:  Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) / Doppler Velocity Log (DVL); Inertial Navigation Unit Conductivity & Temperature;  Side Scan Sonar; Pressure sensors; GPS and Iridium power to optional sensors and accessories like: Dual Frequency Side Scan; Sub-Bottom Profiler; Acoustic Modem; Fluorometers; Video Camera ; Acoustic Imaging and Electronic Still Camera. As a truly flexible AUV it can, for example study shallow reefs and deep water reefs during the same mission, while sending information topside, almost in real-time.

Its launch and recovery system (LARS) is designed to function off the stern of a ship and can be set up for shipboard operations within a few hours. The LARS is based on another operational system, designed by WHOI, which has completed over 1000 launch and recovery operations at sea.

With so many deep water systems still needing further study, from deep water reefs, like the ones Remus visited off Florida in 2008, to shipwrecks and airliners lost at sea, deepwater pipeline inspections, O&G reservoir studies, to studies of hydrothermal vents, hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring and fisheries operations, it can do it all, and incredibly enough with ease of operator handling and efficient power consumption, being able to undertake missions over 24 hours long.

Claudio Paschoa

REMUS 6000 Specifications:

Maximum Diameter:  

71 cm (28 in)

Maximum Length:

3.84 m (151.2 in)

Weight in Air:

862 kg (1900 lbs)

Maximum Operating Depth:

6000 m (19,685 ft)

 Energy:

11 kWh rechargeable Li-ion battery pack in two pressure housings. A second 11 kWh set is provided with system permitting 2-hour turn around. Charge time is typically 8 hours and the batteries are rechargeable up to 300 cycles or for 5 years under recommended storage condidtions.

Endurance:

Typical mission duration of 22 hours. Subject to speed and sensor configuration.

Propulsion:

Direct drive DC brushless motor to an open 2 bladed propeller

Velocity Range:

Up to 2.3 m/s (4.5 knots) variable over range

Control:

2 coupled yaw and pitch fins. altitude, depth, yo-yo, and track-line following provided.

On / Off:

Mechanical switch

External Hook-up:

Two connectors, one for shore power, and one for shore data. Alternatively, 802.11B wireless network may be used for data.

Casualty Circuits:

Ground fault, leak and low voltage detection; go/no go indicator

Navigation:

Long base line,7-10 kHz; upward looking transducer

Dead reckon with ADCP

Inertial Navigation Unit

Tracking:

Emergency transponder, mission abort, ascent weight drop, Iridium, GPS

Communication:

Acoustic modem, Iridium, 802.11B Wi-Fi

Reserve Payload (in water):

27 Kg (50 lbs)

Launch and Recovery:

Over centered lifting frame; vehicle is in vertical orientation for launch and recovery.

Source: Hydroid Inc.