Our philosophy on resilience
This is the fourth post in our series of deeper dives into the four pillars of our design philosophy – safety, reliability, accuracy, and resilience – and how they’re are embodied in our new BA-FLS-NX5 floating LiDAR model. Previous posts centered around our approach to safety, reliability, and accuracy. Today, we'll be focusing on resilience.
In a 12-month campaign, floating LiDARs are exposed to a variety of hazards including harsh weather, high waves, and collisions with fishing and other vessels engaged in offshore activity. The problem is exacerbated in campaigns that are conducted at remote sites that are expensive or difficult to access. Achieving the data availability our clients demand therefore requires careful design choices to mitigate risks and ensure measurement continues year-round.
The NX5 takes a two-fold approach to address these risks: (1) preventing accidents before they occur; and (2) minimizing damage in the event they do. In particular, all our systems are equipped with:
Automatic identification system (AIS);
Dual radar reflectors;
Up to two IALA compliant navigation lights;
Protection ring to absorb energy during unexpected collision and protect the system;
Visible warning messages in the market's local language to alert nearby vessels to the presence of cameras and other security measures; and
Excess net buoyancy to ensure that even in the unlikely event of water ingress following an accident, the FLS will remain afloat, making it quicker and easier to repair damage and re-deploy the system.
For sites with a high risk of collision, we also equip our systems with a more robust set of alarms and proximity sensors, including:
A warning siren and a warning light, activated by the detection of vessels nearby;
A warning message broadcast to nearby vessels in the market's local language (including an auto-broadcast over the UHF channel); and
High-resolution cameras (with night vision) recording videos and pictures periodically.
The above design enables our fleet to withstand the vast majority of the hazards encountered on a typical campaign and mitigate the risk of damage from negligence by third-party vessels and acts of vandalism. This gives our fleet the protection needed to maintain its high data availability and gives our clients peace of mind, knowing their measurement campaigns will be completed on time and with the lowest possible operational risks.
We hope this series of posts has helped highlight the features the distinguish our floating LiDAR technology. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to send us an email at sales@blue-aspirations.com!