Peter Wadhams (CPC) and his team have successfully completed their field trip to deploy an AUV, to measure ice thickness, south of Svalbard. With agreement from Aleksey Marchenko (UNIS), the team were able to utilise the MV Polarsyssel in order to carry out the fieldwork.
The Stand-alone USBL Positioning Buoy, developed by Bo Krogh (UNIS), consists of three main components:
- An EvoLogics USBL with an internal AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) which is a compact unit that has a horizontally omnidirectional beam pattern, optimized for medium range operations in reverberant shallow waters.
- A GPS receiver, a Hemisphere V103, which is a Professional Heading and Positioning Compass, and
- A dataradio to ensure contact with the mother vessel.
- This is mounted on an easy-to-transport, easy-to-assemble spar buoy together with two boxes for batteries etc.
The system has proved itself in the harshest conditions and delivered precise tracking of the AUV under the ice.
MV Polarsyssel moored to an icefloe. MV Polarsyssel is operated by the Governor (Sysselmannen) of Svalbard.
Three members of the AUV Group (Nathan Kemp, Unndor Jonssen and Peter Wadhams), approaching the USBL Positioning Buoy in newly formed ice at approximately 76° 24.109′ N, 22° 57.853 E, which is south of Svalbard, a little west of Hopen Island.
The workboat heading out for an AUV mission with the Gavia AUV to be seen in the centre of the boat.
