Unplugged, an engineering company for industrial inductive modules, presented their paper, "Enabling Resident AUV and ROV Subsea Operations: The Role of Wireless Inductive Charging and Docking Stations," at the Offshore Technology Conference
Unplugged, an engineering company for industrial inductive modules, presented their paper, "Enabling Resident AUV and ROV Subsea Operations: The Role of Wireless Inductive Charging and Docking Stations," at the Offshore Technology Conference 2025.
The paper explores the potential of wireless inductive charging technology, enabling the deployment of Subsea Docking Stations (SDS) as a cornerstone for the operation of resident autonomous underwater drones.
A notable milestone was achieved in 2023 at Equinor's Njord Field in the North Sea, where an SDS facilitated a world-record 165-days continuous operation of an underwater drone. The drone successfully docked and undocked 280 times on the SDS inductive chargers to recharge its batteries and transfer mission data, establishing itself as a fully operational resident system. This breakthrough highlights the key role of inductive technology as an enabler of continuous autonomous subsea operations.
The core success of the subsea docking station presented in the paper stems from its foundation in open innovation and collaborative standardization, which are essential for establishing a fully interoperable subsea ecosystem. Drawing inspiration from a land-based gas station—where any vehicle, irrespective of brand, can refuel seamlessly—the SDS achieves interoperability and compatibility across multiple drone types and manufacturers. This is made possible by
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