Saab Seaeye Falcon to assist Drafinsub

Sized 1m long, and depth rated to 300m and 1000m, the Falcon’s iCON intelligent control architecture and five powerful thrusters give it the control and power to manoeuvre with exactitude whilst loaded with equipment, and still hold steady in strong cross currents and turbulent water when undertaking precise, complex or robust tasks.

“We chose the Falcon because it’s the industry standard for observation robotic vehicles,” declares Andrea Dellacasa from Drafinsub. “It is reliable, scalable and suitable for most kind of works, from observation to non-destructive testing and survey.”

Adaptable

The Falcon’s iCON distributed control provides each device on the vehicle with its own microprocessor, thereby allowing tools and sensors to be easily added or changed, and custom options to be integrated – making it an ideal platform for numerous intricate and demanding applications.

Drafinsub said it will use the Falcon for tasks including diver assistance in shallow and deep water (300 msw); non-destructive ultrasonic testing with an onboard Cygnus, and cathodic protection with an onboard probe; and general visual inspections on pipelines and other structures.

Drafinsub’s all-inclusive diving operations feature their new nine-man 300msw saturation units.

By Rebecca Jeffrey