Gdańsk University of Technology received over PLN 8.5 million funding for research that will allow to build a semi-autonomous vehicle that will search for and identify sea mines and hazardous objects.
'Thanks to the awarded funds, the laboratory employees will be able to continue research on in underwater systems and develop a vehicle with completely new capabilities compared to the existing vehicles, including the Głuptak (Gannet) MD system, already in the Navy service', emphasizes Natalia Jasiewicz, constructor at the Deep Sea Technology Laboratory.
The grant in the amount of over PLN 8,663,335 million was awarded to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology of the Gdańsk University of Technology by the National Centre for Research and Development. The funds will be spent on the construction of a prototype unmanned vehicle for mine defence (MD) tasks, in particular the recognition and identification of mine-like objects (MILCO).
The project concerns the process of detection, classification and identification of sea mines and improvised explosives using remotely and automatically controlled underwater vehicles. The reconnaissance vehicle will be adapted for launching from manned and unmanned, radio-controlled surface platforms.
The Gdańsk University of Technology representatives report that research work will concern increasing the operational capabilities of vehicles by equipping them with specialized sensors and software, ensuring the detection and classification of mine-like objects, range extension, increased resistance to mechanical stress, ensuring a high degree of automation of movement control and classification of detected objects.
The project 'Development of an underwater semi-autonomous vehicle to search for and identify sea mines and hazardous objects, codename TUKAN' is scheduled for three years. (PAP)
author: Piotr Mirowicz
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