Seaglider

A New Paradigm in Marine Data Acquisition

 

Ocean gliders provide dynamic, high density data sampling from the water column in near real-time, enabling timely, quantitative assessment of the environmental risks associated with dredge plumes, oil spills, outfall discharges, sediment run-off, drilling discharges etc.

The results presented are remarkable in that they present virtually synoptic descriptions of the main oceanographic features of the area.

- Independent reviewer for Water Corp Southern Seawater Desalination Project

These gliders represent a remarkable class of very low powered, long endurance and highly reliable marine robots that have been successfully deployed on thousands of missions all over the world. The glider is a multi-sensor platform capable of being remotely piloted to move to specific horizontal and depth locations. Moving in a sawtooth vertical profile using variable buoyancy, the glider moves both horizontally and vertically.

Products

Kongsberg Seaglider™

 

Fastwave is the Australian region representative for the Kongsberg Seaglider™ System

Seaglider™ is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or underwater glider developed for continuous, long term measurement of oceanographic parameters. Rather than an electrically driven propeller, the vehicle uses small changes in buoyancy and wings to achieve forward motion. The system's pitch and roll are controlled using adjustable ballast (the vehicle battery).

The vehicle moves through the water in a saw-tooth like pattern and surfaces often to determine its position. Navigation is accomplished using a combination of GPS fixes while on the surface and internal sensors that monitor the vehicle heading, depth and attitude during dives. External sensors are constantly scanning the ocean to determine environmental properties.

The Seaglider™ Advantage

Seaglider™ has revolutionized the way that oceanographic data is collected. Its novel method of propulsion uses very little energy. In addition, the vehicle has been meticulously designed to be as efficient as possible.

The outcome is a data collection tool that can be deployed for months at a time rather than the hours or days associated with traditional AUV systems. While its top speed is low, the vehicle's extremely long endurance allows it to traverse thousands of kilometers in a single deployment. The vehicle is relatively small and lightweight, enabling deployment via small vessels of opportunity.

Using the AUV you can collect data with excellent temporal and spatial characteristics at a fraction of the cost of traditional collection methods.

Contact and Data Retrieval

In typical operational scenarios, the vehicle will surface after each dive to transmit collected data and receive commands via satellite telemetry. In this way the system pilot can continually monitor flight performance and vehicle health, making adjustments as necessary to improve efficiency and the quality of the collected data. In addition, the end user(s) can obtain the collected data in near real time.

Sensor Payloads & Applications

The System is modular and can accommodate many kinds of sensors depending on the application. There are many potential uses for Seaglider™, including:

  • Physical, chemical or biological oceanography
  • Tactical oceanography
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Data gateway
  • Storm monitoring
  • Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
  • Navigation aid
  • Active acoustic monitoring of biologics
  • Passive acoustic monitoring of biologics
  • Current profiling
  • Tracking and data capture from acoustic tags

New Versions of the Seaglider AUV

Both new glider systems are based in part on the original, proven Seaglider™ design. The first vehicle, Deepglider 6M Seaglider, is designed for operation to a maximum of 6000 meters. This capability is unique in the world of underwater gliders, and will allow the system to completely profile over 97% of the world’s oceans.

The second vehicle, Oculus C2 Seaglider, is specifically designed for high performance, shallow water operation. Oculus has an amazing amount of variable buoyancy – 3500 cc – which will allow it to operate from fresh water to sea water without the need to alter its static ballast. It is also capable of achieving horizontal speeds up to 2 knots. These capabilities will enable operations in areas of extreme density variation and high currents.

See the Datasheets in the "Product Literature" section.

Product Literature

 

Product Manual

 

Manufacturer

Kongsberg
 

Additional Links

Video

Product Images

Kongsberg Seaglider Demonstration Animation

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