The 29 visitors were divided up in small groups and guided around the premises by representatives of SMD Ltd., Damen Dredging Equipment and INESC TEC, who have been working on the various project components.
Visitors were provided with PPE and safety instructions before they were taken by boat to the Launch and Recovery Vessel, where they were able to inspect the Mining Vehicle and witnessed the deployment and recovery of the vehicle.
Back on shore, the visitors were given an overview of the functionality of ‘EVA’ – the Exploration VAMOS AUV, an automated underwater vehicle that is being used to assist in precise positioning, navigation and situational awareness of the Mining Vehicle and that can execute preliminary surveys of underwater mine sites.
In the Control Unit and Data Centre, the visitors were shown the impressive virtual reality HMI, where all machinery is controlled and where real-time data on the operations is collected. Real-time data for grade control and mineralogical properties is collected by a LIBS – Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer, which was demonstrated and is being perfected for a wide range of commonly mined minerals.
During the day, ¡VAMOS! demonstrated a highly successful integration of different systems to be applied in underwater mining. The project team was optimistic about continuing the testing until the end of the week to advance even further towards the projects targets.
This was supported by the Advisory Board: “The consortium should be extremely proud of their efforts. What they have managed to achieve with the ¡VAMOS! System and its integration of new technologies is very impressive”, said Dr. Bramley Murton from UK’s National Oceanography Centre.
Next week the system will be demobilised and prepared for transport to the second test site in Bosnia and Herzegovina in spring 2018.