Anduril Industries is partnering with the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC), US to autonomously inspect undersea power infrastructure using its Dive-LD AUV. The partnership aims to optimise emerging technologies for offshore renewable energy development in the US by reducing downtime and controlling costs.
The Dive-LD is a modular and customisable large displacement AUV that can be used for infrastructure health monitoring, long-range oceanographic sensing and seabed mapping. Originally developed by Dive Technologies, which Anduril acquired last year, the AUV measures 5.8m in length and 1.2m in diameter and has a dry weight of 2.72tonnes. It can conduct missions along the seafloor at depths descending to 6,000m and for up to 10 days, with a speed range of 2-7knots.
The Dive-LD will be used to inspect an existing export power cable running from Block Island to Point Judith, Rhode Island, and autonomously identify potential problem areas. The NOWRDC partnership is expected to demonstrate the capabilities of the Dive-LD in other underwater applications, including national security assets, telecommunication cables and oil and gas pipelines.
The partnership has been welcomed by US offshore wind farm developer Attentive Energy, whose MD, Damian Bednarz, states: “In order to achieve our national offshore wind goals we will need new innovative technologies to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead. The development of a long-range, long-endurance AUV for the offshore wind industry, and especially one that has been developed here in the US, is critical to scaling and growing our industry.”
