The capability of underwater vehicles (including ROVs and AUVS) for autonomous inspection and maintenance of subsea installations can be extended considerably with the integration of wireless  communications capability using the seatooth® range of subsea radio modems. Data can be transferred to the surface in real time, and subsea equipment can be reprogrammed or controlled from the surface using this technology.

The addition of wireless communications capability using the seatooth® range and complementary hybrid solutions can remove traditional limitations of underwater vehicles and enhance safety and reliability of ROV operations in the following applications:

• Communications back up with a surface vessel
• Command and control from a surface vessel
• Data harvesting Location
• Wireless power transfer

COMMUNICATIONS BACK UP
seatooth® provides a back up a link for a vehicle attached with an umbilical to a surface vessel using radio-acoustic technology; specifically this is used for communication with a vehicle where the umbilical link has been broken.

COMMAND & CONTROL
A wireless link using seatooth® supports two way communication with a surface vessel by providing data on vehicle status and the ability to issue commands, for example to initiate a disconnect sequence. This can also be supported by the use of subsea video cameras for visual checks, using seatooth®’s ability to transmit compressed video files.

REAL TIME DATA HARVEST

Seatooth® uses the latest in radio frequency (RF) technology to enable data rate transmission over a short range. This makes RF ideal for applications requiring high speed data transfer such as data harvesting from subsea sensors on pipelines, assets, control systems and during construction. Seatooth® supports transmission of this data in real time giving shorter download times, and faster access to data.

LOCATION & TRACKING
Seatooth® can be used for location and tracking of subsea vehicles in extreme conditions (including under ice) to enable delivery of high quality data from the underwater environmentwithout the risk of loss of vehicle. A seatooth® system will enable a surface vessel, a helicopter or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to communicate with and locate an AUV under the water (or ice) at up to 1km range.

DOCKING & WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER
Seatooth® can also used to aid AUV docking to a vessel or recharging unit, guiding the vehicle and avoiding wet-mating of connectors at depth. AUVs can then be deployed for longer periods by having the capability to recharge their batteries without physical interaction, download data and update software. seatooth®’s power transfer capability also enables deployment of “sealed for life units” on the seabed.