Leap-Ahead Power and Tethering (LAPT) Program for Remote Offshore Inspections

长期以来，远程操作车辆（rov）一直被用于海上能源行业的海底检查和维护。在海上发射rov具有挑战性-管理船只运动，天气动态和这些大型维护级机器人的显著重量需要大型船只和复杂的起重设备。不幸的是，这些大型船只的相关成本和碳足迹限制了海底机器人的价值和环境效益。尽管小型无人水面舰艇（usv）已经成为潜在的解决方案，但在完全平静的海面上部署rov是一项技术挑战。HonuWorx寻求用水下部署平台取代船员发射船，并将船员角色转移到陆上。Loggerhead是一种基于大型auv的运输和部署rov的方法，通过用无人潜水母舰取代大型载人水面船只，可以逐步降低运营成本和排放。LAPT项目将开发和原型化“红海龟”的两个关键子系统。该项目通过结合成熟的海底技术来降低风险，并将资源集中在部署先进的储能和先进的海洋通信上，为海底工作创建一个独特的颠覆性系统。Loggerhead方法优于有人驾驶和无人驾驶的水面船只部署，因为：(1)它是一个资本密集程度较低的系统，(2)可以降低操作成本和排放；(3)通过消除飞溅区部署风险，它支持全天候水下作业；(4)系统在航行期间保持在水下，避免监管问题。Loggerhead承诺将海上检查成本降低高达50%，并消除排放。该项目是一个机会，可以扩大英国在交通运输领域的领导地位，支持净零转型和机器人技术。

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) have long been utilised for subsea inspection and maintenance in the offshore energy industry. Launching ROVs at sea is challenging - managing vessel motion, weather dynamics and the significant weight of these large maintenance class robots requires large vessels with complex lifting equipment.The associated cost and carbon footprint of these large vessels unfortunately limits the value and environmental benefits of subsea robotics. Although smaller Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) have emerged as a potential solution, deploying ROVs from them is a technical challenge in anything but completely calm seas.HonuWorx seeks to replace crew-based launch vessels with subsea deployment platforms and move the crew roles onshore. Loggerhead is a large-AUV based approach for transporting and deploying ROVs that offers a step-change reduction in operating costs and emissions by replacing large crewed surface vessels with an uncrewed submersible mothership.The LAPT project shall develop and prototype two key sub-systems of "Loggerhead". The project mitigates risk by combining proven subsea technologies and focuses resources on deploying advances in energy storage and advanced marine communications to create a unique and disruptive system for subsea work. The Loggerhead approach is superior to crewed and uncrewed surface vessel deployment because(1) it is a less capital intensive system,(2) offers a step change reduction in operations costs and emissions(3) it supports all-weather subsea operations by eliminating splash-zone deployment risks, and(4) the system stays subsea during navigation to avoid regulatory issuesLoggerhead promises to reduce costs of offshore inspections by up to 50% and eliminate emissions. The project is an opportunity to extend the UK's leadership in the transportation sector, support the net-zero transition and in robotic technologies.