The Swarms European project, of which Acciona is a member, is developing vehicles capable of performing complex tasks in underwater environments autonomously, i.e. without the need for human intervention, using Artificial Intelligence. 

 

The use of this type of underwater autonomous vehicles will reduce the risks associated with the construction and repair of offshore structures, work currently performed and monitored by divers. They can be used for repairs in ports, offshore platforms, offshore wind turbines, etc., said a statement.

 

They can also be used to measure and monitor levels of suspended materials as a result of dredging operations and to measure the concentration of suspended solids in water. 

 

These vehicles can work together in groups (or swarms, hence the project name), communicating via acoustic modems, dispensing with the need for cables or human controllers, it said. 

 

Jesús Sancho, Middle East managing director for Acciona, says: ‘We are living in Dubai, one of the most modern and innovative cities in the world so I am sure that a lot of the projects that are actually being carried out in our city and those that are yet to come, will be able to benefit of the latest technology using theses autonomous vehicles in which Acciona actively participates.”

 

The project budget is €17 million. It involves 30 companies, universities and technology institutes from 10 European countries (Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Italy); apart from Acciona, participants include multinationals from different industries (Leonardo, Thales, Bosch, Boskalis, Tecnalia) and universities such as Madrid Technical University, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Mälardalen University Sweden and Aveiro University. 

 

The technology has been tested in three use cases in Spain, Romania and Norway. The first tests were carried out at the Plocan marine laboratory (executed by Acciona) in Gran Canaria, where the validity of the technology was verified in terms of both robotics and telecommunications. In the Black Sea, in Romania, it was used to measure the concentration of sulphuric acid in water; the trial in Trondheim Fjord, in Norway, consisted of tracking a freshwater plume in the sea.

 

The project also includes designing a video-game-like user interface designed to enable vehicles to be managed without the need for specific training in robotics, the statement said. 

 

Acciona is a leading supplier of sustainable infrastructure solutions and renewable energy projects worldwide.  – TradeArabia News Service