Hybrid ROV (H-ROV) concept

 Sperre is currently on the look-out for a heavyweight partner in the subsea sector to push forward development and market launch.

What distinguishes the H-ROV from ordinary ROVs is, as Sperre describes, that its thrusters can swivel round their own axes to provide optimal driving power in the direction of travel as well as compensate efficiently for current and cable
drag. This offers an improvement in performance of anything from 30 – 50 percent in comparison with all conventional ROVs currently in production. This in turn means that the H-ROV will be particularly suitable for subsea dynamic positioning and autotraction operations. The buoyancy element with its thruster(s) will also be capable of rotating independently of the H-ROV’s main chassis and the thruster platform, allowing the H-ROV to simply redefine “forward” and “aft”, and thus enabling more equipment to be mounted and employed on operational tasks, as well as providing a 360degr view.

The H-ROV can be fitted with a tooling skid that can also be rotated vis-à-vis the forward edge that has been defined for it to carry four times as many interface tools and sensors as a conventional ROV.

The H-ROV concept shall meet future needs for extra sensors and tools, and will be more cost-effective at great depths since it will not be necessary to bring it to the surface for reconfiguration. It is designed as a suitable tool for the offshore industry, research, marine biology and archaeology, environmental studies, etc.

Sperre AS has had its trade-mark and patent application for the H-ROV approved.