VEHICLE REVIEW | Amphibious crawler to take on mine countermeasures missions in shallow waters
Dutch engineering firm Royal IHC has completed construction of an amphibious seabed crawler optimised for maritime security applications.
The 10.8- by 5.9-metre (35.4- by 19-foot), 15-tonne crawler will feature enhanced naval mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities under the EU-funded European "extended mine countermeasures" programme. The integration was carried out in collaboration with detection technology specialist Elwave.
The crawler is a modular platform engineered for configuration changes. Its chassis and subsystems are secured using pinned connections, enabling tool changes in the field with minimal support requirements.
Building upon an already proven subsea vehicle concept
Royal IHC said the concept foundation for the seabed crawler is based on the field-proven undercarriage of an earlier subsea vehicle specifically designed to reduce project costs and product risk during the installation and burial of offshore cables.
The crawler consists of a four-track system that maximises tractive effort. Thanks to Royal IHC’s patented independently steerable tracks with self-levelling capability, along with anti-slip four-track drive technology, the vehicle possesses significantly enhanced manoeuvrability and terrain climbing capabilities.
The crawler is especially designed to operate in harsh conditions such as those in shallow waters or through surf zones, which can otherwise pose challenges for conventional vehicles due to the aggressive hydrodynamic environments and the difficult seabed topographies.
The vehicle can also handle many different varieties of payload totalling five tonnes. For MCM missions, payload options will include equipment for detection and inspection of underwater explosives and for removal of such explosives for safe detonation elsewhere. Because the vehicle can be operated remotely, no human crews are put at risk when handling munitions.
The crawler can be fitted with Elwave’s proprietary sensor, which is powered by biomimicry-based "controlled electric detection and fanging" technology, inspired by electric-sensing fish. The system can detect and characterise both insulating and conducting objects in sediment, both in coastal zones and deep offshore zones.
According to Royal IHC, this system enhances mine detection and classification, even in challenging conditions such as high acoustic noise, electromagnetic interference, or poor visibility.
Designed with ease of servicing and deployment in mind
The crawler is customisable and scalable to suit specific requirements. For ease of transport, it has been designed in such a way that it can be broken down to fit in 20-foot ISO containers.
A dedicated launch and recovery system can also be containerised for easy shipping and storage.
The vehicle has also been designed to allow for swap-out of the central chassis to enable various means of powering and controlling the vehicle. Typical options would include: hydraulic and electrical power to be sent down an umbilical to the vehicle; use of a hydraulic power unit and a four-kilometre-long umbilical for operation from either onshore or offshore; and onboard batteries to enable remote wireless operation.
Royal IHC has been conducting additional testing of the crawler with a variety of other sensors such as underwater cameras.
