HELIX Neptune – Amphibious Robot

Hazardous Environment Robot For Water Monitoring Services

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HELIX Neptune – Amphibious Robot

Remote Operated Water Characterization – multi-beam bathymetric surveys and remote ice thickness assessments.

400 kg Amphibious All Terrain Robot – top speed of 2 kts on water and 9 mph/14.5 kmph on ground.

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HELIX Neptune – Amphibious Robot

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HELIX Neptune is a 400 kg amphibious robot that excels at water characterization. It normally carries a sonar head on a retractable mount for bathymetric surveys, as well as the ability to deploy in situ characterization tools on a flexible line to a depth of 200 m. Copperstone Technologies has developed HELIX, a family of autonomous field robots to collect mission-critical data in hazardous environments. Copperstone Technologies has modernized the screw-drive vehicle and adapted it to work as a robotic platform specifically for environmental monitoring and tailings investigations. The patented screw drives are pontoons that enable flotation, with a helical grouser acting as a propeller when spun at high speed in the water. At low speeds, the vehicle can crawl through soft mud deposits or act as a wheel on hard ground. HELIX has many advantages over other modes of propulsion and is perfectly suited to the variety of terrain and seasonal conditions encountered on tailings.

Industries Served

Mining

Tailings storage facilities need to be monitored and represent a significant cost for mining companies. As responsible tailings management practices increase so does the need for companies to investigate innovative ways to safely monitor them. HELIX Neptune can collect data and water samples from hazardous locations while keeping people safe, reducing costs and risks involved.

Water Municipalities

Stormwater pond management is essential to maintaining a stormwater facility. They are designed to hold a specific volume of water and monitoring this level is crucial. Changes in sediments, sand and silt can decrease the ability to retain and treat that water. There are ponds with accessibility & shallow depths where sending traditional equipment would not be the best option. HELIX Neptune can provide an autonomous surveying solution to perform bathymetric surveys and ensures accurate data collection & mapping of your body of water using less field time than traditional methods. HELIX robots are effective at navigating shallow waters.

Capabilities

Bathymetry

standard dual beam echo sounder. Multi beam available. Dual GPS, RTK system built in. Lift mechanism to protect sonar head while out of water. Mechanical measurements of low lying beaches and digital integration to sonar data.

Water sampling

1 or 2L, van Dorn style, up to 200m deep.

Water profiling

sound velocity profile, multiparameter sonde (DO, temp, pH, turbidity, et al).

Companion submersible ROV

Nautilus permits underwater visual inspections from human inaccessible locations. Robots tethered to each other. Comms & control from Neptune.

Benefits

Goes anywhere

HELIX amphibious robots can successfully traverse hard ground, mud, tailings, snow, ice, and water. With 4-screw, skid-steer capabilities, HELIX can manoeuver specialized payloads into the most inaccessible of terrains.

Ability for heavy payloads

HELIX is designed to float on water or saturated soils and muds. Its large deck platform and high buoyancy allow heavy work such as water and mud sampling or geotechnical measurements, and add-on tanks allow for high push and pull forces.

Health and safety

Workers remain in safe environments while robots do the dangerous work. This is not only good practice, but a significant cost savings as well. HELIX can even be used to tow a stranded boat and/or be modified to act as a rescue vehicle.

Cost savings

Robots require fewer labour and equipment hours and are less expensive than conventional equipment, allowing more timely information to be gathered at lower cost. Robots can be used with fewer safety planning hours and be operational more quickly.

Green solution

Our electrically-operated cleantech robots have no emissions and can be made intrinsically safe to help industrial operations become more sustainable.

Remote Operations

HELIX Dash software enables the coordination of both autonomous and remote operational capabilities without placing humans at risk. Giving the user ultimate control over the rover.

HELIX Dash

HELIX Dash is a modular application comprised of various plugins used to monitor, control, and visualize various aspects of the rover and its payloads.