Cellula Robotics’ range of autonomous underwater vehicles can be configured with a variety of payload sensors to meet different mission requirements. They operate like other survey-class AUVs, following a predetermined mission plan collecting data which is time-stamped and georeferenced at source for processing. Adaptive autonomy is a core capability for long-range missions and is being demonstrated in July 2024.
The vehicles can also be equipped with a seabed suction anchor. This allows the AUV to hold position, in a passive mode awaiting the next activity to be triggered. This extends the operational window for long-duration mission by shutting down non-essential systems.
Power is provided by hydrogen fuel cells, which generate sufficient energy to enable the larger Solus-XR to achieve an estimated 5,000-kilometre maximum range. During 2024, the next generation of fuel cell is being integrated and evaluated to prove the predicted performance. This answers some of the environmental and rare earth mineral challenges currently faced by the subsea industry.
This presentation will detail vehicle configuration and some examples of mission profiles. It will also discuss the integration of the fuel cells and the results of the endurance trials to date.
