Offshore sea trials at the Fondation OPEN-C test site have successfully demonstrated ELWAVE and Forssea Robotics’s new subsea technology capable of detecting and tracking buried energized cables from stand-off distances exceeding 10 meters.
During the testing campaign, ELWAVE integrated a dual ESENSE sensor configuration onto a Forssea Robotics ARGOS-X remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to survey active underwater infrastructure. The trial confirmed that the technology significantly extends the traditional operational envelope for subsea cable tracking, opening the door for future deployments across both ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to enable faster, autonomous inspection workflows.
The core technology behind the campaign is ESENSE, an ultra-high sensitivity underwater electrometer capable of measuring electric fields down to −199 dBV/m @ 1Hz. Built with a compact form factor for straightforward integration on various underwater platforms, the system streams live survey data directly into ELWAVE’s OWLIA software suite for real-time visualization.
By detecting the natural electric-field emissions of energized AC & DC assets, the system bypasses conventional cable tracking limitations. The approach eliminates the need for production shutdowns, tone injection equipment, access to cable terminations, dedicated energization procedures, and complex survey preparations. These operational advantages significantly reduce mobilization effort, offshore intervention time, and overall inspection costs for cable owners and survey contractors.
Industry validation was incorporated through the participation of Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), which stationed a submarine cable expert onboard throughout the offshore campaign to observe installation, data acquisition, and survey operations. The sea trials were executed with additional support and collaboration from Forssea Robotics, TSM – Thomas Services Maritimes, and Fondation OPEN-C.
