The High Capacity and Payload (HiCAP) Lander is a modular multidisciplinary seabed observatory – which K.U.M. has recently improved for near-bottom investigations through the addition of multiple sensors (including CO₂, CH₄, redox and EDDI correlation sensors).
Capable of carrying a wide range of instruments, HiCAP allows for biological, physical, chemical or geological parameters to be measured across a 5.4m² area of the seabed during short- or long-term operations, depending on the customer requirements. Made from titanium, GRP and syntactic foam, the K.U.M. HiCAP reduces the risk of collected samples being contaminated and offers excellent protection from corrosion and pressure.
For deployment, an anchor is attached to create negative buoyancy and the unit descends to the desired seabed location at a speed of between 0.5-1.0m/s. During recovery, an integrated acoustic releaser separates the anchor frame from the main segment. In case of failure, the HiCAP features an identical backup acoustic releaser that is always ready for use. Alternatively, the acoustic releaser may be deactivated, and release initiated manually by an ROV. The use of an ROV also offers the option to attach a wire rope to the Lander for recovery together with the anchor using a vessel crane.
