GOSL is taking delivery of a Marport SQX-1 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle capable of operating to 500 metres water depth (will be upgraded to 3000 metres in November 2010).
The SQX-1 is a compact, lightweight AUV, developed by Marport Deep Sea Technology and the Institute of Ocean Technology of St. John’s Newfoundland. It is designed for search and survey applications in waters up to 500 metres in depth. The primary and unique features of the SQX-1 AUV include extremely good stability for superior sensor payload performance, zero-turning radius, high manoeuverability and the ability to hover while providing close-up or detailed inspection of debris, wellheads and platforms.
Survey lines and sensor settings can be pre-programmed into the AUV. Lines can be aborted and the survey program can be altered via the acoustic telemetry link while the survey is underway. Most of the settings for the survey sensors can also be remotely controlled via the link.
Multibeam, sidescan, sub-bottom and positioning data are recorded in the AUV. Data from these sensors is transmitted from the AUV to the ship. This allows real time quality assurance of the data and feedback on the bottom conditions.
The SQX-1 AUV can be used for the following:
GOSL’s SQX-1 AUV has a payload with the following sensors: