First USV for Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) by Demcon Unmanned Systems
Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) has entered into a four-year partnership with Demcon unmanned systems, Dutch USV developer, for the delivery of a first unmanned surface vessel (USV) with autonomous navigation functionality. This small unmanned high tech surface vessel is less than two meters long and suitable for inland waters. The new USV was developed in the Netherlands and is being manufactured in serial production. Rijkswaterstaat intends to use the USV to perform hydrographic measurement tasks. The USV is scheduled to be delivered later this year , after which the process integration, training and maintenance period starts.
Rijkswaterstaat chose to partner with Demcon unmanned systems due to the stringent demands for the design and the strict standards for system security, sustainability and cybersecurity. The fully electric USV also stood out with its patented dynamic positioning system with a shaft- and rudderless drive and the use of a robust, environmentally friendly and recyclable HDPE hull. Lastly, the fact that Demcon – as a Dutch company – can offer support, service and maintenance locally was also seen as a plus.
With this partnership, Rijkswaterstaat benefits from proven USV technology with innovative tailor-made solutions. The small USV contains highly advanced navigation and security systems. The automation systems allow the USV to operate autonomously where permitted and keep it safe from collisions. Furthermore, its compact design features a minimum number of protruding components. Outside of its innovative shaftless rotating propeller ring, the entire vessel contains no other moving parts. Consequently, none of its components are subject to wear and tear and the USV requires no chemical lubrication. This makes the vessel exceptionally low in maintenance and highly environmentally friendly.
🎤 The streamlined design with the innovative propulsion system ensures continuous navigation in various complex inland waterways, such as those with dense vegetation. Jan-Willem Mol from Rijkswaterstaat’s Mobile Measurements department explains: “Among other things, this new USV will be equipped with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to measure water currents and discharge in shallow and/or difficult-to-access waterways. Examples include measuring water discharge in a flooded floodplain during high water and measuring currents in groin fields along a river.”
The modular design with interchangeable moonpool allows this small type of USV to be fitted with various sensors. There is room for multibeam echosounders (MBES), hull-mounted 3D side-scan sonars and subbottom profilers, as well as water quality sampling and monitoring sensors. This makes the USV highly versatile and suitable to conduct various types of water management and quality measurements. This partnership will also allow Rijkswaterstaat to build knowledge and experience that will serve as a foundation for drawing up specifications for work to be outsourced in the future.
🎤 “This project marks an important milestone for us,” says Fedor Ester, Managing Director of Demcon unmanned systems. “The partnership with Rijkswaterstaat underscores the applicability of our innovations and proves that the Dutch USV market is maturing. Recent developments in legislation and regulations, such as the new exemption possibilities for USVs, contribute positively to this.
📃📷 Source: DEMCON unmanned systems
