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CORNERSTONE OFFSHORE and FORSSEA Announce Strategic Partnership for South East Asia

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Brought together by a common philosophy that innovation is key to maintaining a competitive edge, this partnership will see a dynamic synergy of Cornerstone Offshore’s extensive experience and access in SEA with Forssea’s advance subsea technologies.

Forssea will dedicate its groundbreaking Argos ROV systems, a new generation, ultra-light all electric class ROV with advanced auto navigation and remote supervision capabilities combined with adept Project Management & Engineering (PME) and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) services by Cornerstone Offshore.

The Cornerstone-Forssea partnership is set to reinvent the the way subsea surveys are conducted, paving the way for technically sound, environmentally safe, and cost-effective solutions for the offshore and subsea industries.

France 2030 Grant Award for French Consortium lead by Forssea

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

French consortium made of Ifremer (French research institute entirely dedicated to the Ocean), FinX (start’up specialized in bio-inspired underwater thrusters) and Forssea Robotics (French leader in remotely operated vehicles) has been awarded a € 3M grant to develop and qualify subsea resident patrol technologies.

Under the name RESIDENCE, the R&D project will focus on qualifying critical building blocks for long term immersion including navigation, positioning, communication and docking technologies. Forssea’s new generation hybrid ROV will be deployed as main demonstration platform.

First results are expected in 2025 with early commercialization in 2026.

Offshore wind farm underwater survey from CTV in Fecamp

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea Robotics has been contracted by EDF Renouvelables this past month to intervene at the Fécamp offshore Wind Farm which is currently in its final construction phase.

Forssea’s ARGOS ROV was mobilized during a short metocean window in the context of a post-storm survey. ARGOS dove directly from the TSM Windcat CTV (Crew Transfer Vessel) in challenging sea conditions with current up to 1.5 knts and wave up to 1.5m Hs.

Smart ROV modes were used to increase ROV station keeping capability, while embedded inertial navigation performed several “fix” without the need for additional acoustic positioning equipment. A remote Starlink connection was linked to Forssea Sète ROC (Remote Operating Center) which opens the door to fully remote datalogging and expertise, event in the event of such a spot operation.

Forssea thanks EDF and all implicated offshore personnel for the safe and efficient collaboration.

TSS660 now available with ARGOS ROV

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Last December, Forssea demonstrated the quick interfacing of world leading Teledyne Marine TSS660 cable tracking system onto its ARGOS smart ROV. Forssea expect to deploy the solution on first projects starting 2024.

« ARGOS smart ROV handled extremely well with the 660E fitted, and had no problems in tracking a subsea target » declared TSS senior management.

Opening Day of New Premises

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Thanks to recent opening of new premises and warehouse in Sète, France, Forssea Robotics started to take advantage of its wonderful working tool and is now able to host clients and partners in various occasions.

Last November, almost 80 people gathered to celebrate the grand opening. For the first time in a long time, all Forssea staff were united with long term partners to showcase recent developments starting with recent ROV deployments and Remote Operating Center launch.

Forssea completed wind farm inspection from CTV

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea’s ARGOS ROV has been mobilized onboard Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Crew Transfer Vessel to execute subsea monopiles inspection on the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm. This project was sponsored by O&M department of the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm to validate the capability to dive directly from the field asset and avoid external vessel mobilization expenses.

An autonomous flight was successfully demonstrated, opening the door to fully remote operation from USV (Unmanned Surface VesseL) in a near future. A field where Forssea is also involved with a French industrial consortium led by EXAIL.

Method statement showed that the ARGOS compact ROV spread facilitates metocean window selection while reducing maintenance cost and associated CO2 emissions, even in harsh Atlantic coastal environment with significant tide amplitude.

Major Contract Award For ARGOS ROV

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

We are proud to announce that Forssea Robotics has been awarded a 1 M€ contract from the French Naval forces for the delivery of one ARGOS ROV full spread coming with smart navigation functions (Dynamic Positioning, Go-To).

Contract includes system integration with various payload including manipulator arms and sonars. This is Forssea Robotics’s first step in the Defence market.

Support for long-term visual monitoring of biodiversity: SMOOVE®

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

During the last couple of years, Forssea Robotics and Ifremer collaborated to design and industrialize a smart camera called SMOOVE®, which main features are the recording and streaming of 4K photos and videos during predetermined cycles. This camera also offers a low energy chlorination system that prevents marine growth on viewports and light, which lets it be used for long-term deep-sea applications.

Today, SMOOVE is integrated in the Tempo-Mini module, designed by Ifremer, currently at a depth of over 2,000 m and 400 km off the Canadian coast, observing the Grotto vent on the Endeavour hydrothermal field with Ocean Networks Canada. Thanks to this installation, it is now possible to view live on the Internet the life teeming on the hydrothermal edifice, mainly populated by tubeworms and their predators.

Forssea Robotics is proud to help Ifremer researchers seeking to learn more about the temporal dynamics of animal communities in this extreme environment, in relation to different environmental variables.

Elwave’s Octopuses electric sens deployed by Argos

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

ELWAVE subsea electromagnetic sensor OCTOPULSE performed sea trials for bottom mine detection deployed from Argos ObsROV onboard Céladon!

CEDAR biomimicry technology inspired by some tropical fish perception mode called "ELECTRIC SENSE" allows detection, localization and classification amagnetic and non-metallic bottom mines.

New Premises & Warehouse

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Last summer, Forssea Robotics moved to a new production and R&D site to respond to new business needs.

Still in Sète, with close access to the TGV train station (5 min), Montpellier airport (30 min) and the commercial port (5 min), Forssea Robotics's premises are equipped with a test tank, a 400 m² storage and maintenance area and a dedicated remote control center to support growth and ROV operations worldwide.

Forssea awarded by the EDF for its remote inspection solutions for floating offshore wind assets

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

The 2023 EDF Pulse contest was meant to identify and highlight innovative solutions for subsea inspection and biodiversity monitoring in the context of floating offshore wind farms.

Forssea Robotics presented its ARGOS ROV with for supervised autonomy from light service vessels such as CTV. Forssea Robotics received the 1st prize from a prestigious jury that included EDF Renewable CEO as well as O&M Director.

An offshore campaign on the Provence Grand Large (PGL) floating wind farm shall be conducted by Q2 2024.

Smart & Remote from Light Opportunity Vessel

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Our DNA has always been to promote the use of light vessels for smart and remote ROV operations.

In April, our ARGOS #3 vehicle passed its Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) and was sucessfully deployed in free fling mode from 2 non-DP vessels in South of France, after couple of hours of mobilization.

ARGOS is now coming with a full Web based control suite and secured firewall. Remote acess is compatible with OpenVPN, WireGuard and IPSec, making it fully plug and play with most existing Remote Operating Center (ROV).

Remote supervision would be meaningless without ROV advanced Dynamic Positioning features (DP) which provide piloting aids and latency mitigation to subsea operations.

New Crane for ARGOS!

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea Robotics delivers custom ROV crane system for international client.

Forssea Robotics have collaborated with local marine suppliers to deliver its first CRANE SKID to support the IRM campaign of one of its international client. System will be deployed from light opportunity vessels such as PSV or directly from topside for jacket inspection.

Visual Docking Solutions

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

NAV CAM® is an all-in-one ROV / AUV visual based navigation and control center. NAV CAM features an embedded GPU, integrated pressure sensor and Inertial Navigation System. The V-LOC software is supplied as standard. Image treatments are processed in real-time using the dedicated software to achieve highly accurate positioning. NAV CAM is fully compatible to be used with external survey grade gyro sensors.

ISO9001 Certification Received for Forssea’s vision systems

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

What a summer. Our engineering teams have delivered several vision projects (target identification in ATEX environments, underwater structure tracking, AUV / USV docking...) and have been awarded with the ISO 9001 quality management certification last April.

ARGOS ROV Completed Scientific Coastal Survey

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Last June, Forssea Robotics completed a scientific coastal survey offshore Brest, France. IFREMER hyperspectral camera system was used in combination with Forssea OBSCAM and mounted on our ARGOS ROV to study micro-bio organisms in various seabed shallow-water environments.

Following recent IFREMER investment in Forssea’s capital, this operation is a wonderful example of the industrial collaboration between the research centre and the innovative company. Parties have recently joined forces to create a visual navigation taskforce to pursue Forssea’s roadmap towards smarter and remotely supervised operations.

6th Year Anniversary

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

From 0 to 1. Back in 2016, we believed our industries shall evolve toward smaller vessels and smarter operations. We wanted to be part of this change bringing new subsea robotics solutions to the operators.

From our first ATOLL offshore trial up to ARGOS smart ROV commercialisation this year, we have always pushed to cut down operating costs in the offshore energy markets.

We enter this new era with tremendous ambitions, strong commercial perspective, outstanding R&D team and partners and a massively growing offshore renewable markets making some exciting playground for technology.

Forssea Support HGIS with its Real-Time Visual Localization Technology

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea have supplied several V-LOC® systems to assist underwater construction operations and platform installation offshore Malaysia.

HGIS is currently engaged in construction installation work that includes surveying and ROV operations. They are utilizing RPOS software and the Forssea's V-LOC® system to accomplish this.

According to HGIS: "RPOS allows to reduce manpower by having an onshore Command Center to support offshore operations, which is paired with V-LOC to provide augmented reality for subsea positioning, further reducing manpower with faster turnaround time. This project has a very narrow tolerance. However, we are able to monitor and achieve the subsea structure installation tolerance with the system that we use."

Sucessful AID Trials Offshore Norway

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea and DeepOcean have worked closely to develop the Autonomous Inspection Drone (AID). Last Aug.2021, we successfully tested the AID on subsea templates at AkerBP’s Skarv field, 210 Km west of the Norwegian coast in water depths of approximately 400m.

The AID comprises the most advanced subsea positioning & navigation systems available in the market. However, it is the embedded software developed by Forssea that brings the most disruptive smart features that transform this standard ROV into a fully Autonomous Subsea Drone: dynamic positioning, auto-docking, path-following, and object-tracking modes. First, an inspection path was pre-programmed using DeepOcean’s 3D Mission Planner.

During this trial, we could successfully manage the inspection missions remotely with the AID being fully controlled from DeepOcean’s Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Killingøy (Haugesund), which is more than 1200 Km far from the Skarv field!

The capability of accurately repeating an inspection path over a subsea structure with the AID brings many benefits: structural conditions can be better compared periodically regarding asset integrity management; tasks can be performed more efficiently with simultaneous work during subsea operations (thus reducing the number of days required for executing offshore operations and also reducing costs of interventions); operational risks for offshore personnel can be minimized due to remote control from onshore centers; etc.

Vallourec and Forssea join forces to facilitate the inspection of subsea pipelines

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Vallourec, a world leader in premium tubular solutions, is working with Forssea, a startup specializing in smart robotics and visual positioning, and iXblue, a company recognized for its expertise in inertial navigation, subsea positioning and autonomous technologies – to develop a pipeline inspection solution combining subsea drones and the use of visual markers, removing the need for surface vessels.

“This technology had already proven itself on large structures in the field”, said Jean-Guillaume Besse, Vallourec R&D project leader. “Back in January of this year, we did a first sea trial on much smaller surfaces in the South of France. The tests were a success, proving that these markers, combined with iXblue’s and Forssea’s expertise, can be used to provide accurate subsea positioning without the need of acoustic systems”.

The advanced solution is a key milestone for future pipeline inspection and could be considered as a next step in the Vallourec smart offering, further facilitating operators’ asset management.

See The Press Release  Go To

Forssea completes Floating Wind Turbine subsea survey!

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

In June 2021, Forssea completed the underwater survey of FLOATGEN, a floating wind turbine anchored 12nm offshore from Le Croisic coast, in Pays de la Loire, France, on the SEM-REV sea test site operated by the École Centrale de Nantes (ECN).

For this operation, Forssea developed a dedicated survey skid for the Argos ROV and established a partnership with Sulmara Subsea, an international survey services contractor who was responsible for supplying the survey and positioning services during the Argos ROV operation.

What’s Up Doc? Our PhD engineers successfully passed their thesis

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Auguste Bourgois developed new algorithms based on set-membership methods allowing to prove the feasibility of a mission prior to its launch. These algorithms also have direct applications in visual-inertial navigation systems, increasing their reliability while improving autonomous decision-making processes

The research side of Jaouad Hajjami's thesis was to design, study and implement a set of algorithms to solve problems related to the detection of markers in the underwater world. In his research, Jaouad focused on improving the visibility and accuracy of marker detection by offering innovative solutions with better results compared to the state of the art.

Forssea releases NAV CAM AIR for Vessel DP application

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

NAV CAM AIR can now be interfaced to vessel Dynamic Positioning (DP) console thanks to standardized output message.

NAV CAM AIR is an all-in-one surface based visual inclination and positioning centre which has been initially designed for the in-air monitoring of monopiles and topside structures. Forssea’s proprietary V-LOC® software is supplied as standard and all image treatments are processed in real-time using the dedicated software to achieve highly accurate positioning!

Discover our Remote Control Station

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea recently opened a new warehouse in Sète harbor, France, future maintenance base for France mediterranean offshore wind farms. 6 engineers and technicians will be working in the new office, where an ROV remote control room is being prepared for upcoming surveys. Forssea also installed an 8m long x 3m deep test tank to perform its underwater systems acceptance test prior deployment in operations. An area will be dedicated to Forssea's underwater vision systems manufacturing and maintenance. Last October, Forssea organized an open day and welcomed several local marine players for complete system presentation.

Ifremer acquires shares of Forssea Robotics to boost their cooperation

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea announces that Ifremer — the French National Institute for Ocean Science — recently acquired an equity interest in the company. This will allow Forssea to accelerate diversification in the sectors of marine renewable energy and of deepsea scientific exploration.

Since its creation in 2016, Forssea has developed smart ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) equipped with visual positioning sensors. Their proprietary ROV systems have recently reached final qualification with Oil & Gas offshore operators and contractors.

Ifremer anticipates these systems will have promising applications in the context of marine renewable energy and of oceanographic campaigns, especially when interacting with existing of future scientific deepwater observatories.

Parties are already discussing deployment of Forssea systems during the upcoming Ifremer scientific campaigns. Ifremer and Forssea will also continue and expand upon their collaboration in the field of resident robotics, long immersion cycles, and advanced imaging capabilities (including artificial intelligence and 3D photogrammetry).

Forssea appoints new sales rep. for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) area

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea is pleased to announce that Shannon Giagnorio and Sottomarine Business Development Solutions has been appointed Sales Representant for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) area, based in Houston.

Shannon is an experienced Oil & Gas and subsea professional with background within several international companies, including Forum Energy, MacArtney and Chevron Venture Capital Start-ups. She spent the last 3 years representing European and American companies so they could reach the oceanographic and offshore community in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Through Sottomarine BDS Shannon will be promoting Forssea’s new visual positioning systems and generating robotics service partnerships with the relevant operators.

“I am very proud to work with such an experienced and respected agent. After 4 R&D years, Forssea is starting a new phase with great commercial ambitions. The Gulf is a key area where we need a permanent presence. We believe this new crisis faced by our industry is urging the need for smarter and cheaper robotics solutions” said Gautier Dreyfus, co-founder and CEO of Forssea.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be partnered with Forssea. Forssea’s offerings and vision for the future of visual positioning systems and robotics use are refreshingly innovative and sure to be a game changer for the industry.” Shannon Giagnorio, President Sottomarine Business Development Solutions.

About Sottomarine  Go To

Forssea announces new light intervention and smart ROV for plug & play USV interfacing

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

The standard ARGOS version currently comes with “smart” piloting modes including latency management, auto-diagnosis features, dynamic positioning which is based on visual, acoustic and/or Inertial Navigation System/Doppler Velocity Log (INS/DVL) sensors and GO-TO features. Visual docking can be used to safely dock the ROV back inside its Tether Management System (TMS) especially in challenging weather conditions.

In addition to the Smart Piloting modes of ARGOS, the base system is supplied with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) surface control unit and therefore is perfectly adapted to be installed on an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) with the capacity to perform either full autonomous operations or through the use of remote piloting from an on-shore control centre.

Gautier Dreyfus, CEO of Forssea explains, “We believe that the home for resident ROVs is not the seabed but USV. The requirements are similar: long immersions cycles and all electric design to reduce maintenance, supervised piloting mode with low latency, and autonomous features to deal with communication loss and pre-programmed operations such as pipe survey or asset inspection”.

Forssea’s quick latching system tested on LBL beacons

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Kongsberg and Sonardyne have recently collaborated with French underwater robotics startup Forssea to trial their «quick latching system» mounted upon a cNODE Maxi and Compatt 6+ LBL transponders. Tank tests have shown that the cage modification will enable offshore operators to use Forssea’s LBL new deployment and recovery method with very little acoustic perturbations. Forssea’s latching system could thus replace standard cages so that it can be grabbed by the ATOLL smart ROV from a smaller vessel of opportunity. This opens the door to faster, cheaper and safer operations.

V-LOC Deployment

© 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics © 2024 Forssea Robotics

Forssea signs technology ramp’up agreement with STR and completes 2 trials of visual positioning technology during the summer.

FORSSEA Robotics form exclusive partnership with Subsea Technology & Rentals

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

As part of this partnership, STR has invested in Forssea Visual LOCalisation (V-LOC) Positioning technology, which will be available globally for operations. The V-LOC positioning system is a computer vision-based method able to track and position underwater markers with millimetric accuracy. The V-LOC technology is embedded inside an innovative camera, called the NAV CAM which mounted on a ROV system and markers attached onto subsea assets.

The real-time output can provide the operator with live asset’s heading and attitude, or relative distance between 2 structures.

Gautier Dreyfus, Co-founder and CEO, Forssea said, “STR is a well-respected, technology focused company. I firmly believe that by forming this partnership with STR, we will penetrate the global subsea positioning markets. Our teams share the same spirit and are passionate in delivering innovative solutions to our customers. I am convinced this is just a first step as we are already working on the next generations of visual positioning subsea systems.”

Forssea and IXBLUE join forces to offer new revolutionary LBL deployment method

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

His new solution uses Forssea’s Atoll light-size autonomous docking system, designed to deploy and recover loads (up to 1 ton) from light opportunity offshore vessels, combined with iXblue’s DriX, a versatile USV offering outstanding endurance and unrivaled seakeeping performances (up to sea state 3). Using iXblue’s launch and recovery system and advanced autodocking capability, DriX can be deployed from any lifting device in sea states up to level 3. Thanks to its embedded Gaps pre-calibrated INS and USBL acoustic system with field-proven box-in capabilities, this new solution provides flexible, robust and highly accurate calibration to offshore companies.

Very agile, it does not require heavy logistical support and provides up to 70% savings compared to traditional methods. Stored into containers, all assets can be easily shipped to any operation in the world at very short notice and can be used from any light opportunity vessel equipped with a crane and with reduced crew onboard.

Forssea & GMS create a joint subsea vision laboratory

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Offshore robotics company Forssea chose GMS as main technical partner to certify its real-time visual positioning technologies. A joint laboratory will be created to develop a common offer covering camera calibration, subsea image treatment and innovative photogrammetry solutions.

Forssea decided last year to adapt its Atoll ROV embedded visual docking technology into a stand-alone product. The company was already manufacturing and commercializing underwater cameras, mainly for R&D underwater vision applications.

The so-called V-LOC (Visual LOCalization) technology has been designed for quick and operational use. One operator sticks the marker on the structure and the camera computes the six-degree coordinates in real-time on the user screen.

GMS track-record is very relevant when it comes to subsea. So much need to be implemented while too few photogrammetry experts are invited to the discussion table. Working with Forssea was quite natural, as their know-how and technology are very complementary to our expertise. And they are in the spotlight at the moment!” said Frédéric Jallon, Technical Director at GMS.

Forssea Robotics successfully raises €2.4M to fund its subsea technologies qualifications

© 2024 Forssea Robotics

Offshore robotics startup Forssea announced an investment of €2.4M led by the French VC firm IRDI-SORIDEC with additional funds coming from the family office SOPER and a team of international energy investors.

Part of the total funding came from the winning of several national innovation grants including the “Ship of the Future” program managed by the French Energy Agency (ADEME) and the I-Lab competition organized by the French public investment bank (BPI). This is Forssea’s second successful fundraising as the company already raised €500k in 2016.

The new funds will enable Forssea to undertake and complete sea qualifications of its Atoll vehicle in 2019.

“This funding will enable us to qualify our proprietary designed ATOLL vehicle as well as state-of-the-art underwater vision systems. We will undertake several trial sessions in October 2018 in shallow water, whereas the full depth equipment will be assembled early 2019 for deep water trials mid-year. Working offshore is a real challenge and this successful fund raising is an important milestone underpinning our ambition”, said Gautier Dreyfus, co-founder and CEO at Forssea.

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