A stand-alone underwater vehicle capable of performing high-resolution 3D visual inspections to achieve advanced levels in deep water oil and gas exploration. It has reduced operation costs and greater operational safety and protection of the environment. The prototype, first in Brazil, was developed by the company BG Brasil and by the EMBRAPII Unit of SENAI CIMATEC.

“EMBRAPII happily welcomes the results of this project in partnership with BG Brasil. The new robot means extraordinary technological evolution with reduction of risks to the worker that operates in deep waters and more protection to the environment. We are sure that this is only the beginning of many other partnerships that we will develop with BG Brasil and CIMATEC”, said the CEO of EMBRAPII, Jorge Guimarães.

FlatFish will reside in an underwater station, eliminating the need for supporting boats. The operator will be able to set up an inspection mission remotely from the surface. The vehicle will independently perform the planning and execution of the mission, leaving the submarine station, collecting the inspection data and sending it to the operator on the surface.

“The offshore tests with FlatFish, performed here in Bahia, are a key milestone for the development of a new underwater inspection technology. In addition to ensuring underwater integrity, it is estimated that the costs of this type of operation are reduced from 30% to 50%, eliminating the need of a specialist and the use of supporting boats”, said Adam Hillier, CTO of the BG Group.

FlatFish is the result of a project developed since the end of 2013 by BG Brasil and SENAI CIMATEC, with the support of EMBRAPII, the German Institute of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the ANP. The project had a team of 18 Brazilian researchers.