Innovative Drone Technology for Oil Spill Monitoring
STABLE has successfully integrated its advanced stabilization technology into a cutting-edge UAV/USV (unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned surface vessel) system designed for the ongoing surveillance and detection of oil spills in marine environments.
Collaboration for Environmental Protection
The ARIEL system, created by TideWise, a leader in maritime solutions, is part of a research and advancement initiative in collaboration with Repsol Sinopec Brasil and robotics expert GSCAR – COPPE/UFRJ. This project is supported by funding from the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels. The two autonomous systems work in tandem to effectively locate and assess oil spills without requiring human intervention.
Advanced Stabilization Technology
STABLE’s innovative technology mitigates the impact of roll and pitch movements caused by the dynamic conditions of the sea. These movements are calculated using sensor data, allowing the platform to be adjusted automatically by computer-controlled actuators. This stabilization enables drones to achieve precise takeoff and landing while operating from these vessels.
Overcoming Challenges in UAV Operations
Rafael Coelho, Managing Director of tidewise, stated, “One of the critically important hurdles we faced was ensuring a safe UAV landing on a moving USV. Thanks to a custom flexible design that consumes minimal power, along with long stabilization references and a proactive engineering team, we chose the STABLE platform. It effectively minimized the rolling and pitching motions, ensuring a prosperous landing.”
A Unique Experience in Small Vessel Operations
Rune M. Eriksen, Chief Strategy Officer and Partner at STABLE, remarked, “It has been an extraordinary journey for STABLE to implement our stabilization technology on a vessel under 5 meters in length. Collaborating with the professional team at TideWise was a rewarding experience, and together we successfully enabled autonomous drone operations on a compact vessel.”
Explore the Project Development
To learn more about this innovative project, watch the video below:
