The LARS enables the deployment of ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) by teams based onshore
Kongsberg Maritime to deliver ROV LARS to Ocean Infinity. (Credit: KONGSBERG.)
Norway-based technology company Kongsberg Maritime has secured its first contract from a seabed exploration company, Ocean Infinity for a ROV launch & recovery system (LARS).
Ocean Infinity is expected to install the system on it Armada fleet of robotic ships.
In February, the company announced the launch of a new marine technology and data company, Armada. It is expected to add fifteen bespoke designed marine robots to Ocean Infinity’s current fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles.
The Kongsberg’s LARS will be specially designed to handle remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned vessels.
Additionally, the new system also allows the deployment of ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) by teams based onshore.
The new LARS will eliminate the possibility of damage to the ROV
According to the company, the system is a crucial component in a system that is designed to ensure that no people are required at sea while carrying out subsea operations.
Kongsberg Maritime Deck Machinery & Motion Control executive vice president Lisa Edvardsen Haugan said: “The new LARS solution is developed in close collaboration with the Ocean Infinity team.
“It benefits from a unique combination of our advanced subsea technologies, reinforced with years of accumulated offshore expertise.”
The firm said that the system utilises a pure electric drive system that makes the system more environmentally sustainable and significantly reducing the need for maintenance.
Both the launch and recovery will happen through the moon pool, with the release and capture of the ROV occurring beneath the sea surface.
Lisa Edvardsen Haugan added: “The safety of ROV operations will be dramatically increased through the use of this system.
“We expect to see more companies transition to using unmanned vessels to reduce operational costs and increase safety.”