Demcon Unmanned Systems is to supply an unmanned surface vessel (USV) with autonomous navigation function to Rijkswaterstaat. The parties will enter into a four-year cooperation for this purpose.
This is a small unmanned surface vessel, less than two metres long and aimed at use on inland waterways. The USV was developed in the Netherlands and will be mass-produced. Delivery of the USV is scheduled for later this year. Demcon is also supporting Rijkswaterstaat with process integration, training and maintenance.
Electric propulsion and recyclable hull
The USV is electrically powered, equipped with a dynamic positioning system with shaftless and rudderless propulsion and fitted with an environmentally friendly and recyclable HDPE hull.
Rijkswaterstaat deliberately chose a local company, partly with the also on local support, service and maintenance.
Autonomous navigation
The small USV is equipped with advanced navigation and security systems. Among other things, it will allow the vessel to operate autonomously, navigating independently and avoiding collisions.
The USV's hull features a minimal number of protruding parts. Apart from the shaftless rotating propeller ring, the vessel also contains no moving parts. This minimises wear and tear on components of the USV and makes chemical lubrication unnecessary. In practice, this translates into a low-maintenance vessel.
Modular design
Rijkswaterstaat wants to use the vessel to carry out hydrographic measurements. The USV has a modular design, with an interchangeable moonpool. Thanks to this design, the vessel can be equipped with various sensors.
There is also room for multibeam echo sounders (MBES), hull-mounted 3D side-scan sonars and sub-bottom profilers, as well as sensors for water quality sampling and monitoring. This makes the USV usable for various water management and quality measurements.
Jan-Willem Mol of Rijkswaterstaat's Mobile Measurements department explains: "This new USV will be equipped, among other things, with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to measure water flows and flow rates in shallow and/or difficult to access waterways. Think of measuring water discharge in a flooded floodplain during high water and measuring flows in groyne sections along a river."
Waivers for USVs
"This project is an important milestone for us," says Fedor Ester, Managing Director of Demcon Unmanned Systems. "The cooperation with Rijkswaterstaat underlines the applicability of our innovations and proves that the Dutch USV market is maturing. Recent developments in laws and regulations, such as the new exemption options for USVs, contribute positively to this."
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Image: Demcon Unmanned Systems
