Planet Beyond Podcast

Adding autonomy with the National Robotarium

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As offshore wind expands, tens of thousands of assets in the North Sea alone will require inspection—posing logistical, environmental, and safety challenges. Traditional crewed vessel fleets carry significant carbon impacts and demand arduous sea travel.

Originally recorded in 2023, this archive episode explores how Fugro is addressing these challenges. Mark Bruce explains the deployment of remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) from uncrewed surface vessels, designed to operate independently due to poor underwater data transmission. These ROVs must respond quickly to changing sea conditions, requiring advanced remote operation capabilities.

Mark is joined by Yvan Petillot of the National Robotarium to discuss their collaboration in adding remote control to ROVs. Together, they share insights with Jon Baston-Pitt on the successful completion of the first commercial demonstration of this technology.

Guests

Yvan Petillot, Professor of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Heriot Watt University; joint academic lead, The National Robotarium.

Mark Bruce, Product Manager, Next Generation ROVs, Fugro

Your host

Jon Baston-Pitt

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Our mission

Creating a safe and liveable world

Tackling tomorrow’s problems

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