Autonomous catamaran for the University of Southampton
Autonomous vessel supplier, ASV Global, has delivered a 3m autonomous catamaran to the University of Southampton.
This vessel is the first of the brand-new class of C-Cat vessels to roll off the production line.
The vessel will be used by the university for scientific research and development of autonomous behaviours. The investment was funded by an EPSRC RAS Capital Award.
Dr Jon Downes from the University of Southampton’s Maritime Robotics Laboratory said, “We are very excited to have our own autonomous vessel which will enable us to undertake autonomy research and development. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with ASV – they worked closely with us to ensure the vessel fitted our requirements and have delivered a robust and reliable platform ideal for autonomy research and experimentation with payloads”.
Vince Dobbin, Sales and Marketing Director said, “We are delighted to be working with the University of Southampton who are not only local to us but share our passion for developing autonomous systems.
He added, “The C-Cat 3 is a fantastic addition to our fleet, unlike any other vessel on the market it is small enough to easily transport and mobilise but large enough to house a range of high accuracy payloads such as a multibeam sonar.”
The C-Cat 3 has been developed to complement the existing ocean going ASV Global vehicles for survey and support tasks where a smaller vehicle is better suited to missions. The design incorporates a large payload bay to enable payload flexibility.
The vessel has a modular, lightweight design for ease of transport and mobilisation. Its shallow draft and payload capacity make it an ideal vessel for shallow survey and marine science applications.
The C-Cat 3 includes the core functionality proven in all ASV Global vessels and systems. The ASView control system gives the operator the flexibility to execute basic remote control right up to fully autonomous operations.
ASV Global is the industry’s most experienced, tested and successful developer of autonomous vessel technology in the military, oil & gas and scientific sectors delivering safe, efficient, and reliable solutions.
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