Since 2012, Applied Acoustics has provided ROVas with underwater acoustic positioning systems to navigate challenging Norwegian fjord environments.
ROVas, a specialist in underwater inspection, documentation, and consultancy, serves Norway’s maritime sectors, including aquaculture and offshore renewables. The company delivers verifiable underwater reports, mapping, and equipment rental, supporting demanding subsea environments.
Significant tracking challenges in fjords include ROV positioning in freshwater layers during long-range free-flying missions. Especially for fish farm anchors and subsea cable surveys, reliable inspection data is crucial.
To overcome these limitations, ROVas adopted the Easytrak Nexus 2 ultra-short baseline (USBL) system alongside the 1300 Series Mini Beacons and 1100 Series Mini Beacons from Applied Acoustics. The upgrade resulted in a 400% increase in positioning accuracy relative to maximum water depth and a 100% extension in depth range for operations below 3 meters.
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Following the deployment of the Easytrak Nexus 2 system, ROVas experienced a range of performance improvements across its underwater operations. The depth tracking capability doubled, increasing from 500 meters to 1000 meters, while horizontal tracking in shallow water was significantly enhanced—from 150 meters at a 30-meter depth to 350 meters at just 10 meters depth. Positioning accuracy was refined from 5% of the total water depth to just 1%, and the system demonstrated stable long-range performance, achieving a 0.5-meter accuracy over a 1400-meter slant range at 880 meters depth. Additionally, the adaptability of the Nexus software enabled seamless integration with third-party sensors, allowing ROVas to tailor system settings to specific mission requirements and environmental conditions.
The intuitive design of Nexus 2 has simplified operator training, allowing ROVas to quickly onboard new team members. More importantly, it has enabled the company to tailor system performance to the unique environmental challenges found in Norwegian fjords. These advancements have significantly boosted ROVas’ service quality, opening new commercial opportunities in power distribution, oil and gas, and large-scale subsea infrastructure inspection.
