RE2 Robotics Develops Underwater Mine Disposal System
RE2 Robotics has won a $9.5 million contract from the US Office of Naval Research to create an underwater robotic system for autonomous neutralization of underwater mines for the US Navy. The program, called the Maritime Mine Neutralization System (M2NS), will use the RE2 Sapien Sea Class system to accurately place and attach neutralization devices to underwater mines and improvised explosive devices in water.
“The RE2 Sapien Sea Class offers an unmatched level of human-like dexterity in underwater robotics. RE2 Robotics, whether used for commercial applications, industrial tasks or military operations, strives to create state-of-the-art robotic technologies and focuses on developing products that can help keep divers safe,” the company said.
RE2 will serve as the system integrator for this program. In addition to the RE2 Sapien Sea Class, M2NS will use components including RE2's computer vision and autonomy software, RE2 Detect and RE2 Intellect, to ensure precise, autonomous and covert neutralization of targets.
“Detecting and neutralizing improvised underwater explosive devices and other explosives is a critically dangerous task for US Armed Forces divers. In line with our mission to improve worker safety, M2NS will allow the military to find and autonomously neutralize targets in deep ocean waters, while experienced divers observe from a safe distance”
M2NS includes best-in-class technologies such as RE2's Sapien Sea Class manipulator and the VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which deliver unprecedented power density. In particular, the RE2 Sapien Sea Class arms, originally designed and developed for the Office of Naval Research, feature a compact, durable, electromechanical design with human-like dexterity (seven functions per arm) and neutral buoyancy. Combining these key technologies provides superior strength and precision when manipulating neutralization devices.
“M2NS will use RE2 Detect computer vision software to detect underwater targets and RE2 Intellect to autonomously and accurately place devices on those targets. We will also integrate new sensors to provide situational awareness and assistive autonomy, which could allow the system to potentially operate at greater depths in the ocean”
Beyond defense tasks, the human-like capabilities of M2NS make it suitable for complex marine infrastructure and maintenance applications in the oil and gas and wind energy industries. For example, M2NS can be used to inspect welds on drilling rig piles, vessels and FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) systems, and to inspect and measure mooring lines and operate valves.
It is worth noting that the RE2 Sapien Sea Class is an electromechanical system that provides human-like dexterity in challenging underwater environments. In addition, it is a flexible system that can be controlled remotely to keep a human in the loop, or operated with autonomous or semi-autonomous control.
Advantages of the RE2 Sapien Sea Class:
- The energy-efficient electronic drive system extends operating time and frees up underwater power for cameras and sensors used for environmental research.
- The lightweight, compact design reduces the footprint or volume in confined or hazardous conditions.
- Neutral buoyancy ensures the system stays balanced and controllable at any depth.
- The sealed enclosed design protects the electrical system from water and sand ingress, reducing maintenance and downtime.
- A multi-level corrosion control system, including the use of sacrificial anodes and anodized connections, enables extended underwater interactions.
- The flexible system can be controlled remotely using RE2's intuitive, easy-to-use Imitative Controller (IC) or operate with autonomous or semi-autonomous control.
- The system is designed for easy integration with ROVs and AUVs from leading manufacturers, including VideoRay, Teledyne Seabotix, Oceaneering and others.
RE2, winner of the 2021 RBR50 Innovation Award, recently received $1 million to develop an autonomous refueling system for AH-64 Apache helicopters deployed for the US Army. The project, called Remote Robotic Refueling for Extended Missions, will use RE2's perception software to control a robotic arm mounted on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The UGV will autonomously position and insert the fuel nozzle into the helicopter's corresponding port.
