MAR Consulting assisted a client in evaluating (satellite) communication link design solutions from operability, availability, and cost stand-point. The services of the communication link between the unmanned surface vessel (USV) are:
- Transfer payload data generated during seabed surveys or subsea inspections;
- Control and operate the USV, in emergency situations;
- Control and operate the unmanned launch and recovery system, in emergency situations;
- Control and operate the autonomous underwater vehicles, in emergency situations.
The different services listed above have different requirements, such as data transfer capability and latency. MAR Consulting proposed several options to fulfill these operational requirements. We focused particularly on the reliability and availability of the communication link considering the consequence of possible total loss of the asset. Cost implications were also taken into consideration to choose an ideal (mostly satellite) communication link system design for this application.
This work is part of continuous support to an exciting start-up based in Oslo, Norway. The following article describes our previous collaboration: FMECA of an unmanned system for subsea inspections and seabed surveys · MAR Consulting