ECA Group will develop an ultra-deep autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) under a contract worth €2 million from Ifremer, the company announced on 24 January. The AUV will be dedicated to survey and inspection.
After a development period of three years, the AUV, which will be capable of reaching 6000m water depth, is expected to accomplish its first dives in 2019.
The new AUV will be deployed from French and international oceanographic research vessels in missions involving other deep water intervention vehicles, starting with Ifremer’s Victor 6000 remotely operated underwater vehicle and Nautile manned submersible.
Claude Cazaoulou, director of sales and business development from ECA Group Robotics Division in Toulon, said: ‘For future commercialization by ECA Group of this AUV branded A6K, the system specifications are particularly interesting for missions such as deep sea mining survey, oil/gas pipeline inspections, rescue missions and mineral resource exploration.’
Ifremer is the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea. ECA was selected for the contract as part of a project to establish the Cooperative Off-Shore Robotics Alliance (CORAL Alliance) with selected industrial partners. The alliance will aim to promote innovation and competitiveness in an integrated concept, linking ocean science to marine industry.
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