Istanbul Technical University students have developed an underwater unmanned vehicle that has outstanding capabilities to perform many tasks, most notably the exploration of underground resources.
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The drone, which the students named “Detector”, is used for many tasks such as underwater surveys, deep-sea excavations, search and rescue operations, installation, maintenance and repair of offshore platforms and underwater pipelines, surveying of habitats (colonies of marine organisms) in the depths, and exploration of underground resources.
Hasan Fatih, a computer engineering student, said he worked for two years as part of a team at Istanbul Technical University developing underwater robotics.
Fateh stated that the team has been working for about 6 years on the development of underwater unmanned vehicles, noting that the development of the “Kashef” vehicle took two years of research and development activities before production and then a test phase of a year and a half.
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Fateh, a third-year student, stated that “Kashef” is one of the marine compounds capable of conducting technical and structural analyzes and exploring underground resources and the like in the depths.
“At the same time, this drone can act as a companion for ships on cruises,” he added.
He continued, “This drone can perform technical tasks underwater and perform various tasks such as welding, installing pipes and capturing assets thanks to the robotic arms in the front.”
He pointed out that the new unmanned vehicle can operate in cold water and high pressure depths that divers cannot reach.
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“So far we have been able to descend to depths of 150-200 meters in our tests,” he added.
And he added: “When you add more different materials to the vehicle, it can go under water to a distance of 3,500 meters in the most difficult conditions.”
He added, “The drone in these depths can carry out tasks such as searching for mines and other various other tasks, including the tasks of drilling for oil and underground resources.
Fateh pointed out that the drone is equipped with a sonar device that helps in exploring the depths using sound wave technology and conducting structural analysis tests.
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He added, “The drone can carry out vital tasks in sensitive places such as underwater oil pipelines, pipelines transporting potable water from Turkey to the island of Cyprus, welding work and other similar tasks.”
He pointed out that the marchers can carry out various repair work, map areas of the depths, predict underwater threats, operate at depths where humans cannot operate, and undertake risky tasks in their place.
He stressed that the unmanned vehicle was produced with local capabilities and expertise, and that it is capable of performing high-level tasks on an industrial scale.
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Fateh concluded by noting that the drone has high capabilities to discover hidden sea mines, and that this type of drones will gain great importance in the coming years.