Public Funding for Thurn Group LTD.

Background: High-resolution monitoring of rivers is important because rivers are severely affected by climate change and frequency/magnitude of extreme events are changing fast. Advanced in-situ monitoring technologies have to be combined with satellite earth observation (EO) to obtain accurate, reliable and spatio-temporally resolved information for effective decision support, risk assessment, climate change adaptation investment analysis, and operational forecasting/surveillance. Problem being addressed: Traditional hydrometric monitoring of rivers is in-situ and station-based. In-situ monitoring networks lack spatial resolution, have been declining in many regions, and data accessibility is increasingly restricted because of growing conflicts between countries over water resources allocation. In order to solve this problem, hydrometric monitoring using satellite earth observation has to be combined with drone-borne hydrometric monitoring technology for validation, deployment in remote and inaccessible regions, and to enable reliable and accurate river discharge estimation. Our solution: UAWOS develops a drone-borne water observation system providing key hydrometric variables (bathymetry, velocimetry, water surface elevation) at high spatial resolution/coverage, and data-based products/ services supporting management and decision making. UAWOS integrates airborne data streams with Copernicus water bodies and water level services for cross validation and to estimate river discharge from satellite EO data. Impact: We expect that UAWOS hydrometric monitoring solutions will be factor 2-3 cheaper compared to traditional in-situ surveying. UAWOS technology will provide very high spatial resolution with accuracy on par with traditional in-situ monitoring. The technology will support smart governance/regulation in the context of the Green Deal, and create new opportunities for European business, both as a stand-alone solution and in combination with satellite EO.

THURN Group Ltd and Cambridge Polar Consultants Ltd are working on the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs -- robot submarines) for determining ice hazard risk to shipping and energy installations in the Arctic. As the global climate changes, the polar ice is melting, opening up new shipping routes and easier access to offshore oil and gas vital to the UK and global economies, in seas which are still seasonally ice-bound. This project will investigate the feasibility of using robots to do the work. If the project confirms the feasibility of using robots commercially in the extreme and hazardous environment of the high Arctic, THURN and CPC will provide a service to determine ice risk, to help protect people, goods and vital infrastructure in the Arctic.

THURN Group Ltd. develops innovative sonar technologies for specialist applications in the offshore survey industry. This project involves the development of a novel sonar system to improve mapping of sediment layers and objects under the seabed, to address engineering challenges encountered in the planning, design, installation and maintenance of offshore wind energy infrastructure. Climate change priorities have led to increasing demand for offshore wind energy and this has highlighted the engineering challenges, including obtaining adequate information about the sub-seabed. Current sub-bottom sonar survey technology has poor horizontal resolution and low signal levels. This project uses a combination of novel hardware and software to address these challenges, providing better resolution of buried objects and improved depth penetration. This creates significant savings in terms of survey time required per turbine installation and reduces the uncertainty and risk in the site engineering. Funding will enable evaluation of the technical feasability of applying this technology to real offshore sites. If the technical feasability is confirmed, THURN will manufacture products to compete in the global offshore survey equipment market, with systems available for use from 2018.