Hamburg Port Authority Trials USV for Hydrographic Survey

Organized by Kongsberg, an OceanAlpha USV conducted a successful demo to the HPA (Hamburg Port Authority) in October under the challenging conditions of the Port of Hamburg. 

OceanAlpha SL40 USV deployed in Hamburg Port

According to Kongsberg, the SL40 USV  from OceanAlpha would be used as the equipment platform to carry a Kongsberg M3 multibeam echo sounder as well as other high-performance sensors. 

It’s planned that the USV will support HPA’s Hydrographic unit from 2020 onwards for a wide variety of tasks,  including the measurement of shallow and hard-to-reach areas. The USV solution impressed the staff of HPA with its compactness, maneuverability, high quality of workmanship, good stability in the water, the intuitive and safe handling.

SL40 USV sailing in Hamburg Port

The SL40 software makes it easy to plan routes that the USV can depart and sails autonomously, allowing the operator to keep track of other important systems and survey data and be in control at all times. The Collision Avoidance module can automatically detect obstacles and stop the USV, which can minimize the potential of any bumping accidents.