The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), a winning solution for our offshore geophysical survey in Sicily.

The Dentice Offshore Wind project, situated 22 km off the Italian coast, presents particular morphological complexity due to its water depth (ranging from 349 to 670 metres), increasing the difficulty of acquiring low-resolution data. To address this challenge, the deployment of an AUV, an autonomous underwater vehicle capable of navigating at a constant height above the seabed, ensured comprehensive coverage and high-resolution data acquisition. 

AUV technology has offered a groundbreaking alternative to conventional towed systems. Operating like an underwater drone, the AUV can access complex and deep-sea environments with great precision. Navigating at a constant height and as low as 4 meters above the seabed, the AUV collects comprehensive, high-quality data while remaining unaffected by vessel movement. Its programmable navigation patterns improve both safety and efficiency, delivering survey durations and costs comparable to traditional methods, with excellent data resolution and reliability.  

The geophysical and environmental data gathered allowed to characterize the local biodiversity and seabed habitats, the seabed morphology, the shallow geology and to detect anthropogenic and natural features, while also improving the understanding of potential geohazards. Nearshore surveys were also carried out to support cable route and landfall studies and help minimize environmental impact.