Uncrewed Vessel Tech: Argeo Argus Launched for Offshore Energy Sector

Argeo launched its first uncrewed, remotely supervised survey and inspection vehicle dubbed Argeo Argus. The Argus USV (Uncrewed Surface Vehicle) will conduct mapping and inspection services using robotics and autonomous ocean space technology for offshore and energy projects in water depths from 2 to 200 meters.

• Did you know: The name "Argus" comes from Greek mythology, "a giant with a hundred eyes."

"Investments in the offshore energy sector are growing at a massive rate. The Argeo Argus is a major breakthrough in commercial uncrewed solutions for the offshore energy sector," said Trond Crantz, CEO, Argeo. "We believe Argeo Argus is the perfect match for developers in this market segment. The demand for mapping & inspection services is increasing and we expect that offshore wind will be an important business segment for years to come."

Argeo, and many others across the offshore energy sector, are banking on continued vibrant activity and outlook for the offshore wind market. "Yearly global spending on offshore wind will double to more than $100 billion in 2030. The demand for accurate mapping the oceans, will increase rapidly. Argeo Argus uses state-of-the-art sensors and robotics which gives the best possible data resolution in the market today," said Crantz.

Meet Argeo Argus

Argeo Argus is a multi-purpose uncrewed vehicle for offshore and coastal applications, designed to offer a stable, low emission hybrid platform equipped with advanced navigation, supervision, and hydrographic and geophysical technology.

According to the company, Argeo Argus includes:

• Full position control enabling worldwide safe and remote supervised operations 24/7
• High-resolution data quality for detailed seabed mapping and shallow water geology from integrated geophysical & hydrographical sensors
• Fast and effective with up to 30 operating days and hybrid propulsion system, enabling cost effective shore-to-shore operations
• Tailor made to comply with governmental rules and regulations
• Operational and sensor configuration flexibility with configurable back-deck with two moonpools.
• Can potentially be tooled with Argeo’s novel Electromagnetic technology for UXO investigations and a new Ultra High Resolution (UHR) seismic system
• Data acquired by Argus will be integrated into Argeo’s Digital Ocean Space platform

While suited for offshore wind, Crantz is quick to note that the USV will have vast opportunities in traditional offshore markets, too. "The market for Argeo Argus is not only within offshore wind. We also see material demand within Oil & Gas and mineral extraction and for environmental monitoring and inspections of infrastructure and installations," says Crantz.

The vessel was built at Maritime Robotics in Trondheim, Norway, in close collaboration with Argeo, and a main focus was to reduce the carbon footprint of the vessel. "We managed a 95% reduction in the emission compared to a traditional manned vessel. Our goal is 100%, which we hope to reach soon," said Crantz.

Argeo currently owns and operates four AUV’s, two Hugin AUV’s (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) and two Sea Raptor AUV’s.