Heriot-Watt University Orders ASV C-Enduro

Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh Campus, have confirmed the order of an ASV C-Enduro.

The C-Enduro Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) will be used for research in persistent and long term autonomy with multiple remote and autonomous marine platforms.

The vehicle's primary application will be as a moving navigation and communication platform for AUV's.

Professor David Lane of Heriot-Watt said: "The vehicle will be available to students in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems as a research facility.

"The facility will train upward of 65 Innovation Ready PhD students in aspects of robot interaction, starting in the autumn of 2014" he continued.

The research involving C-Enduro forms part of the ROBOTARIUM national UK facility for research into the interactions amongst robots, environments, people and autonomous systems. This initiative is run by EDU-RAS (The Edinburgh Alliance in Robots and Autonomous Systems) and involves both Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.

The ASV C-Enduro was selected during a competitive tendering process which was first advertised in November 2013.

Differing to previous variations of C-Enduro built by ASV, this lighter model will be battery powered only.

The standard C-Enduro centres on a three-pillar power structure of solar power, a wind turbine and a diesel generator to maximise its sea endurance.

Formed in 1998, ASV provides rugged, reliable and effective unmanned marine systems using the latest advances in autonomous technology. Based near Portsmouth in the UK, ASV serve international military and security, oil and gas and science and survey industries.