Subsea inspection vehicle

A method of using a subsea vehicle for supporting inspection of underwater objects while underway, comprising:

• a. deploying a subsea vehicle for supporting inspection of an underwater object while underway underwater, the subsea vehicle comprising:
• i. a body, comprising:
• 1. a propulsion system;
• 2. a navigator operatively in communication with the propulsion system;
• ii. an inspection sensor probe;
• iii. a set of independent, separate deployable semi-rigid arms adapted to support movement of the inspection sensor probe;
• iv. an inspection sensor probe actuator operatively connected to the inspection sensor probe;
• v. a set of arm actuators operatively connected to the set of deployable semi-rigid arms, each arm actuator of the predetermined set of arm actuators associated with a corresponding deployable semi-rigid arm of the set of independent, separate deployable semi-rigid arms;
• vi. a position sensor adapted to sense a position of the inspection sensor probe relative to the body, the sensor disposed at a distal end of a predetermined deployable semi-rigid arm of the set of independent, separate deployable semi-rigid arms;
• and
• vii. a controller operatively in communication with the position sensor and the navigator;
• b. supplying the controller with data describing a spatial location of an intended inspection object located subsea;
• c. using the controller to navigate the subsea vehicle to a position subsea proximate the intended inspection object;
• d. once at the position, using the controller to initiate a position process to maintain an orientation of the subsea vehicle with respect to the intended inspection object, the position process comprising:
• i. using an arm actuator of the predetermined set of arm actuators to deploy the position sensor by moving its associated deployable semi-rigid arm to a position close to or away from the body;
• ii. gathering data representative of a position subsea of the subsea vehicle relative to the intended inspection object from the position sensor;
• iii. deploying the inspection sensor probe to a position which is suitably located to gather data in support of inspection requirements of the intended inspection object from the inspection sensor probe;
• and
• iv. using the data representative of the position subsea of the subsea vehicle relative to the intended inspection object to maintain the orientation of the subsea vehicle with respect to the intended inspection object.