UK unmanned systems specialist HydroSurv Unmanned Survey has sold one of its unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to civil engineering and construction company Skanska Norway.
Named Saga, the USV will be operated by Skanska Norway's in-house survey and inspection unit on inland hydrographic survey operations.
The USV will be primarily deployed to deliver high-resolution bathymetric surveys using a multibeam echo sounder, supporting the design, construction and long-term maintenance of infrastructure located over, under and alongside the water.
Designed for daytime operations, the USV is a sheltered-water, multi-purpose craft capable of supporting a wide range of hydrographic and environmental data collection campaigns.
The vessel is equipped with twin 2.5kW rim-driven thrusters, minimising the risk of entanglement or damage during shallow-water operations, and is powered by a 6kWh lithium battery enabling full-day endurance.
As a commercial-grade platform, the USV features HydroSurv’s virtual vessel control system and a Dynautics autopilot.
"The portability and flexibility of the platform allows rapid mobilisation and the repeatable collection of high-quality survey data, aligning well with Skanska’s operational and project delivery requirements," said David Hull, Founder and CEO of HydroSurv.