Blueye Robotics equipping the entire Norwegian Coast Guard fleet with underwater ROVs

Monday, April 17, 2023 / Blueye Office

Words by Oda Ryggen / Chief Commercial Officer

In late 2022, Blueye Robotics was awarded the contract to supply the Norwegian Coast Guard with underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems. Today, the entire fleet of Coast Guard vessels are outfitted with the Blueye X3 model to perform underwater missions ranging from search and rescue to detecting illegal drug trafficking. Learn more about how the NCG are utilising premium ROV technology in the article below.

The intention behind the large ROV order for the Norwegian Coast Guard was to supply their Diving Team with more eyes below the surface in addition to carrying sensors for improved navigation and data collection. The Blueye X3 ROV are used by the mother ship and from MOBs (man overboard boats) for several use cases.

The Coast Guards use cases with the Blueye ROV

Securing evidence of an environmental crime
Search for drugs or other objects on ship hulls
Search for missing people
Inspection of own vessels prior to leaving harbor (searching for unwanted objects)
Control of historical monuments at sea
Inspections of ships after suspected grounding
Substitute for simple dive operations

The Blueye X3 ROV in acton with the Norwegian Coast Guard at Svalbard — The Blueye X3 ROV diving in the water surface at Svalbard. Photo: The Norwegian Coast Guard

Blueye X3 ROV with multibeam underwater — Photo taken with the Blueye X3 below the ice at Svalbard. Photo: The Norwegian Coast Guard

Why the Norwegian Coast Guard chose Blueye Robotics

The Norwegian Coast Guard chose the solution from Blueye Robotics because of its superior ease of use, sensor modularity capabilities, robustness in extreme environments, ability to operate from 2+ ft. of water to open ocean, portability (9kg weight), and battery capacity (4 hours of operational time). The possibility to easily create dive reports directly in the Blueye App was also reported as a winning feature. In addition to delivering the hardware, Blueye Robotics has provided on-site training and access to an online help center library of articles and videos.

It's a brilliant tool that we've benefited greatly from over the last few years!! - Commander Stein Magne Eidissen

The Blueye X3 ROV with one of the Coast Guards vessels at Svalbard. Photo: The Norwegian Coast Guard

Blueye Robotics has developed portable, robust, and user-friendly technology since 2015. We are incredibly proud to be the chosen partner for the Norwegian Coast Guard. This demonstrates a demand for smaller-sized user-friendly ROVs and fuels the Blueye Robotics team to keep developing high-quality products and solutions for our growing base of customers. - Christian Gabrielsen, CEO of Blueye Robotics

The Blueye X3 ROV with the Oculus M750d multibeam sonar from Blueprint Subsea. Photo: Blueye Robotics

Blueye Robotics X3s with sensors and payloads such as DVL for underwater positioning, a dual-frequency multi-beam sonar for navigation and extended line-of-sight, and a gripper was delivered to the Norwegian Coast Guard in February 2023.

The story about Blueye Robotics

Blueye Robotics is a Norwegian company based in Trondheim with roots in the highly renowned Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems (AMOS) at NTNU. Since 2015, the overarching design goals have been exceptional ease of use, portability, and robustness. The first underwater ROV model was launched in 2019, and since then, more than 1000 systems have been delivered to different industries in over 50 different countries.

More resources

Forsvarets forum (Norwegian): https://forsvaretsforum.no/drone-kystvakten-teknologi/kystvakten-har-fattundervannsdrone-pa-alle-sine-fartoy/320723

Blueye press page: https://www.blueyerobotics.com/press

Podcast Teknisk sett, interview with Stein Magne Eidissen, commander in the Norwegian Coast Guard: Kystvakten finner kokain og omkomne med Blueye ROVer