International Submarine Engineering Ltd has signed a Contract to Build a 5000 Meter Depth Explorer class Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) Antarctic Gateway Partnership project, ISE said in a press release.
This Explorer will be ISE’s fourth under-ice capable AUV that builds on the success of Theseus and the two Arctic Explorer vehicles owned and operated by Natural Resources Canada.
This Explorer is destined for the Australian Maritime College, a specialist institute of UTAS, and will be used by the Antarctic Gateway Partnership (AGP), an Australian Government funded initiative to build further polar research capability in Tasmania.
AGP Theme 4 (Marine Technology and Polar Environments) Leader and AMC Principal, Professor Neil Bose, said this Explorer will be utilized by a talented group of scientists and operators taking the under-ice capable vehicle into unexplored environments. Explorer’s variable ballast system will facilitate unique science operations such as sediment and ice sampling. This will be a novel use for Explorer’s variable ballast system which has been utitilized previously on Explorer and Theseus AUVs to facilitate parking and cable laying.
“ISE’s extensive experience with international oceanographic research has prepared us to respond to advanced operational requirements brought forth by our end-use customers”, says James A.R. McFarlane Executive VicePresident, ISE.
The ISE Group of Companies is a world leader in the design and integration of autonomous and remotely operated robotic vehicles and terrestrial robotics. The company has evolved a unique skill set for turning concepts into solutions. Integrating complex projects utilizes the company’s resources from industrial design, real-time software engineering and embedded systems to prototyping, testing, and quality control.
ISE Ltd. (International Submarine Engineering) and its wholly owned subsidiary, ISER Ltd (ISE Research) are high technology engineering companies engaged in the development and manufacture of subsea, land and space robotic systems. The companies specialize in the development and manufacture of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for subsea operation; of unique subsea systems for individual requirements in the offshore oil industry; development and manufacture of hydraulic, pneumatic and electric robotic manipulators, of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, robotic systems for nuclear applications; of custom teleoperated and autonomous robotic systems; communications and real-time control systems; in the development, manufacture and maintenance of manned submersibles, of unique subsea systems for individual requirements in the public sector.
