UCC-2025-22 Call-for-Tenders for the supply, delivery commissioning and calibration of 3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

University College Cork is seeking to procure 3 micro-sized Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) capable of deployment from shore or vessel, and operable across a depth range of 1 to 300 meters. These AUVs will be used for high-resolution seafloor imaging, magnetic anomaly detection, and bathymetric mapping. The required payloads should include a high-quality underwater camera with integrated lighting, a fluxgate magnetometer, and a 3D side-scan sonar system. Accurate underwater positioning is essential, with systems offering absolute positioning accuracy of less than 5 meters via USBL acoustic tracking. The AUVs must be supplied with a complete USBL surface positioning system, spare parts, rugged transport cases, and mission planning software. Comprehensive aftersales support is required, including a minimum one-year warranty, training for operators, and access to maintenance tools and documentation. The supplier must also provide assistance with any export licensing and logistics. The proposed solution should be equipped with DVL and USBL modems, and have handheld recovery units and software for mission control and data retrieval. A handheld communication unit must be provide with an antenna that can communicate with the AUV up to 5 km.