New operational steps towards an alliance of European research fleets - EUROFLEETS2

 

 

Name: New operational steps towards an alliance of European research fleets
Acronym: EUROFLEETS2
Funding scheme: European Commission FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2012-1
Grant Agreement Number: 312762
Total budget: 10,873,089.46 EUR; FER budget: 233,200.00 EUR
Start and end dates: 01/03/2013 - 28/02/2017
Coordinator: Institut Francais de Recherche Pour L'exploitation de la Mer – Ifremer, France
Partners: 31 partner

Project website:
www.eurofleets.eu


Abstract

EUROFLEETS2 aimed at developing a new pan-European distributed infrastructure with the common strategic vision and coordinated access to Research Vessels and marine equipment. EUROFLEETS2 undertook specific actions to consolidate research fleets’ organization, methodology and tools through operational initiatives (like virtual fleets) leading to more interoperable and cost-effective European research fleets.

 

1. Excellence

This flagship project addresses the following topics of proven scientific excellence:

  • Completion of strategic perspectives for the European research fleets with a polar component
  • Promotion of exchanges of the European fleets' on-board mobile equipment to foster interoperability
  • Enhancing the impact of research fleets on innovation by fostering the involvement of industry in specific activities
  • Development of new training actions including a pilot floating university

2. Impact

Sustainable consolidation of a coordinated strategic vision of European Research Vessels initiated in EUROFLEETS1, to establish the basis of a pan-European distributed research infrastructure of the new Regional Vessels.

3. Implementation - goals and achievements 

LABUST participated in developing automated terrain tracking algorithms, which will ensure precise terrain or under-ice terrain following in the presence of external disturbances. Close to the desired target, a vehicle performs dynamic positioning in order to compensate for external disturbance and station-keep above (or below) the area of interest. In order to successfully perform both terrain following and dynamic positioning, parameters of the mathematical model of the vehicle have to be identified. The novel fast identification method was implemented to determine parameters of all the controllable degrees of freedom of the vehicle.

 Project experiments in Lora Navy base in Split from June 23rd until July 6th, 2014