Seasnake+ Update: Innovation in Motion
Hello everyone!
Here we are with the first periodic update on our project. We are making great progress and would like to share the latest news with you.
The project focuses on an antifouling system scale up with novel application chamber reducing the curing time and make possible up-scale of cable production with antifouling on the outer jacket. Three major advances characterize the project: new antifouling coatings transitioned to a thinner more flexible fast curing formulation with minimal biocide content to reduce environmental impact but still prevent fouling, in-situ cleaning drones with capacity to follow the cable when needed, and optical fibres and configuration inside the power cable allowing for shape reconstruction and mechanical properties monitoring.
What have we achieved so far?
Over the past few months, our teams have been working on several different innovations.
… and we are getting closer and closer to our goal!
Development of the application chamber in-line.
In April 2025, Geico took a significant step forward in the field of industrial coating with the development and implementation of the in-line application chamber at its cutting-edge research center, Pardis. This innovative device marks a major breakthrough in the automation of paint application and curing processes for cables.
The in-line application chamber is designed to ensure precise and controlled paint application, followed by an optimized curing process.
This development represents a major step toward the full integration of an automatic coating and curing system within the industrial production cycle.
The goal is to make the process not only more efficient but also more sustainable, by reducing environmental impact and improving operational conditions.
Distributed fibre-optic shape sensing solution
On the 2nd week of October 2024, RISE, University of Alcalá (UAH) and University of Gustave Eiffel (UGE) gathered in Nantes at UGE’s laboratory to test and validate several technical concepts in the framework of WP3.
For this test, UGE designed a test bed to apply repetitive realistic bending movements to the hybrid fibre optic/power cable under test (picture, right). RISE and UAH successfully used the integrated optical fibres in the power cables to map the curvature of the cable every centimeter (figure left) and reconstruct the shape of the cable during the movements.
This was a major step in the development of Seasnake+ distributed fibre-optic shape sensing solution, since it allowed the team to test and improve technical concepts such as the hybrid power/optical fibre cable design, the distributed fibre-optic interrogation system and the corresponding shape reconstruction algorithm. UAH and RISE are currently working on making an interrogator prototype that will be used for future field tests in the project.
Nearshore testing of coating
On 10th of February 2025 CNR’s team successfully deployed the test panels provided by NKT and painted with the innovative fouling release paint by Par-Ky Green Sailor in the sea!
Pair of panels have been installed both at the surface as well as at about 1 m depth. The panels will be analyzed according to the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The panels are now set up in the premises of the Experimental Marine Station of CNR-IAS located in the port of Genoa and we’re ready to begin the testing phase to gather valuable data. This is a major step in validating the efficiency and durability of our technology in real-world conditions.