Underwater cable robot

Abstract

The present invention relates to an underwater cabled robot, preferably adapted as a cleaning platform, capable of selectively and effectively removing small and large debris from the seabed and from the water column beneath, with minimal impact on the marine ecosystem. The cleaning platform comprises: a floating barge or vessel having an opening providing access to a water column below the floating barge; and a submergible frame fitted with a tool adapted to collect debris underwater. At least three motor-driven winches are attached to the floating barge or vessel, and a system of cables extends through the opening of the floating barge or vessel and connects the winches with the frame. The control unit controls the operation of the capstan in a coordinated manner such that the frame can be moved within the three-dimensional work space under the floating barge or vessel by winding and unwinding the cable to collect debris from the seabed and water column.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater tethered robot, which is suitable for performing underwater operations such as: rescue; repair; and preferably for seabed cleaning, and is capable of selectively and effectively removing small and large debris from the seabed and water column with minimal impact on the marine ecosystem. Background Art

[0002] Marine litter (ML) poses a global challenge. It is estimated that 86 million tonnes of plastic have accumulated in the world's oceans, with an increase of 4.6 to 12.7 million tonnes per year. Floating litter accounts for only 1% of this amount. The rest is most likely on the seabed or has been degraded into microplastics and nanoplastics, potentially eaten by marine life. In addition to plastics, fishermen pick up all kinds of trash such as bicycles, household objects, tires, paint containers, nets, polystyrene, etc. About 80% of ML comes from land-based sources, however, in some areas, marine sources (maritime operations, transport, fishing) are very important. ML not only affects marine life and the environment in many ways, but ML also poses risks to human health. ML has a negative impact on important economic sectors such as tourism, fisheries, aquaculture or energy supply.

[0003] Across the 21 Pacific Rim economies, the estimated annual damage costs due to ML total EUR 949 million, with losses to fisheries at EUR 273 million, transport at EUR 209 million, and marine tourism at EUR 467 million. At the European level, the total quantified costs of ML range from EUR 259 million to EUR 694.7 million.

[0004] It is obvious that the removal of marine debris (ML) should be carried out at the coastline, where the depth is shallower than in offshore areas and where the ML density and integrity are higher. Since coastal areas have high levels of biodiversity in fragile ecosystems, any automated ML removal technology must be selective in its process to minimize the impact of the automated ML removal technology on this ecosystem.

[0005] A balance must be found between the positive impact of avoiding degradation of microplastics into micro / nanoplastics and the potential negative impacts of the removal process itself. The type of ecosystem, the efficiency and selectivity of the removal technology, and the frequency of removal are key variables in this decision.

[0006] Several solutions are being developed and evaluated for ML floating on or near the surface of both oceans and rivers.

[0007] There are a large number of studies and systems for monitoring ML on the seabed, but there are few solutions for removing ML that accumulates on the seabed.

[0008] Existing solutions for ML removal on the seabed are considered to be either very harmful to the marine ecosystem (fishing trawls or dredgers) or inefficient (divers, small ROVs).

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for efficient seabed and water column cleaning technologies that are harmless to the marine environment, are particularly suitable for cleaning ML from coastlines, and take into account the type of ecosystem, the efficiency and selectivity of the removal technology, and the frequency of removal. Summary of the invention

[0010] The present invention is defined in the accompanying independent claims and satisfactorily solves the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art by providing a cable-based underwater robot, which is installed and operated from any suitable floating platform such as a barge, ship, catamaran, vessel or pontoon and is equipped with tools suitable for the task to be performed.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tethered underwater robot is adapted for seabed cleaning, whereby the tethered underwater robot is provided with selective cleaning tools which allow for the removal of larger objects on the seabed as well as floating plastics in the lower water column in a manner that is not harmful to the marine ecosystem.

[0012] In more detail, one aspect of the invention relates to an underwater tethered robot comprising a floating platform, such as a barge or a boat, having a through opening providing access to a water column beneath the floating barge or boat and to the seabed.

[0013] The floating barge or vessel includes a submersible frame equipped with a tool, which can be, for example, one of the following: a hydraulically or electrically operated gripper, a bucket hose and head, or a robotic arm equipped with an end effector, so that the tool can collect, pick up, clamp, cut or suck up debris underwater.

[0014] The floating barge or vessel further comprises: at least three motor driven winches attached directly or indirectly to the floating barge or vessel, preferably attached to the floating barge or vessel on the upper surface of the floating barge or vessel; and a system of cables or tendons extending or capable of extending through an opening of the floating barge or vessel, connecting the winches to the submersible frame via a set of pulleys. The system of winches and cables is arranged so that the frame can be kept suspended below the floating barge or vessel by the system of cables when the frame is submerged, or suspended above the floating barge or vessel for construction or maintenance of the frame and for construction or maintenance of the frame during transportation of the barge or vessel.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the opening is formed in a central region of the floating barge or vessel.Preferably, the opening has a rectangular configuration and there are four motor driven capstans such that each capstan is placed at or near a corner of the rectangular opening.

[0016] The floating barge or vessel comprises a control unit adapted to control the operation of the winch in a coordinated manner such that by winding and unwinding the cable from the winch, i.e. by varying the length of the cable between the frame and the winch, the frame can move within a three-dimensional working space and with at least six degrees of freedom below the floating barge or vessel to collect debris from the seabed and the water column or to perform any other desired task.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the floating barge or vessel comprises eight motor-driven winches grouped in pairs, and the system of cables comprises a pair of cables for each pair of winches, so that each cable of the same pair is individually wound in one of the winches in the same pair of winches. The free end of each of the cables is connected to the frame of the robot.

[0018] Preferably, the floating barge or vessel comprises a support structure for each of the capstans, so that there are at least three support structures and preferably four support structures. The support structures are mounted on the floating barge or vessel, wherein each support structure has a bracket, which is movably mounted in each support structure, so that each bracket can be moved up and down relative to the floating barge or vessel.

[0019] Each bracket is provided with at least one pulley, and each cable in the system of cables runs on the pulley, so that by moving the bracket up and down relative to the barge or ship, the system of cables can be raised or lowered relative to the barge or ship, so that the underwater cable-driven robot can be operated in two configurations, namely the parking position and the working position. Therefore, the operability of the cable robot is improved because the cable robot is easy to: assemble, set up and maintain when the cable robot is out of water during the translation of the floating barge or ship to different hot spots (parking position), and to keep the submersible frame inside the water for ML removal operations (working position).

[0020] The system of supporting structures and cables is configured so that the submersible frame can be pulled upwards through the opening and placed above the floating barge or ship or just above the water for assembling and / or maintaining the frame of the cabled robot and for assembling and / or maintaining the frame of the cabled robot during translation of the floating barge or ship to different operating areas. For this purpose, the control unit is also adapted to control the movement of the carriage in a coordinated manner with the winch.

[0021] Preferably, each of the four support structures is arranged at a corner of a rectangular area parallel to the floating barge or vessel, and the support structures extend upwardly from a substantially flat upper surface of the floating barge or vessel.

[0022] The frame of the robot is additionally equipped with at least one of the following objects: a submersible camera suitable for capturing images of the robot's tools, a sensor for measuring the speed of the robot's frame underwater, a sensor for measuring the height of the robot's frame relative to the seabed, an inertial measurement unit for measuring the displacement and orientation of the robot's frame, and a depth sensor for measuring the depth of the robot's frame.

[0023] The invention has the advantage that, thanks to the supporting structure with a bracket capable of vertical movement, any type of floating barge or vessel can be used, since the operation of the cable robot is independent of the height of the floating barge or vessel and the cable robot always allows two operating positions, namely a parking position and an operating position.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the floating platform is a barge constructed using a set of standardized pontoons, ie pontoons of the same shape and size and typically a rectangular prismatic body, which allow a modular construction to construct a barge of desired design by appropriately arranging and anchoring the pontoons.

[0025] The underwater tethered robot described above is characterized by high efficiency in the seabed cleaning process because the robot's frame can be precisely moved over the wavy seabed surface with higher motion capabilities (six degrees of freedom controlled) compared to known underwater cleaning technologies and in a selective manner to ensure environmental sustainability. The tethered robot's frame can be remotely controlled by an operator who aligns each identified marine debris (ML) object and decides when to enable the collection tool to grip the ML, thereby avoiding indiscriminate wiping of the seabed.

[0026] Therefore, some of the main advantages of the present invention are listed below:

[0027] Selectivity for minimal environmental impact:

[0028] - High precision of cleaning tool positioning provided by the cable-driven robot, so that water currents will have little influence and swell effects on the floating barge or ship will mainly be compensated by the robot control unit.

[0029] - Human decision to collect ML: not to process all seabed surfaces indiscriminately.

[0030] - The tethered robot does not touch the seabed! Only the feet or anchors of the tethered robot are in contact with the seabed, but even this impact can be eliminated using propellers and dynamic positioning systems on the barge.

[0031] efficiency:

[0032] - Rapidly scan the area using sensors and cameras to quickly identify and locate trash for removal.

[0033] - Rapid movement of the robotic tool or end effector reduces the time required to clean a selected area: using electric motors on a barge to pull the cable is much more efficient than the propellers of an ROV that have to fight buoyancy and currents.

[0034] - High efficiency of removal: cleaning of the area is continuous using the vacuum system, there is no need to return to the boat or underwater station to empty the bags, the garbage is sent directly to the barge or boat. When large garbage needs to be grasped, the speed of the cable robot is key to avoid losing time in the movement towards the crane basket.

[0035] Flexibility and modularity:

[0036] - High flexibility of operation: the tethered robot can operate from a few meters from the surface to a depth roughly defined by the width of the platform. The modular barge concept allows to easily customize the size of the platform and therefore its maximum operating depth.

[0037] Advantages over existing technical solutions:

[0038] -Higher efficiency compared to divers, autonomous ROVs or ROVERs with arms or small onboard suction devices.

[0039] -The tethered robot is not affected by water currents and buoyancy.

[0040] - The tethered robot does not require traveling to and from a ship or larger container on the seabed to empty the small onboard robot container.

[0041] -Great autonomy.

[0042] - The tethered robot is not affected by the weight and inertia of the umbilical cable, which can amplify ROV drift and control problems.

[0043] -Large working space and maneuverability is not restricted by rocks, slopes or wavy terrain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to complete the description and to provide a better understanding of the present invention, a set of drawings is provided. These drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the present invention, which should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, but only as examples of how the present invention can be implemented. The drawings include the following figures:

[0045] Figure 1A perspective view of an example implementation of an underwater tethered robot according to the present invention is shown, wherein the frame is in a parked position.

[0046] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Side view of an underwater tethered robot.

[0047] Figure 3 A side view is also shown, with the frame in a working or cleaning position.

[0048] Figure 4 A perspective view of an underwater tethered robot as viewed from above is shown.

[0049] Figure 5 A top plan view of an underwater tethered robot is shown in another configuration.

[0050] Figure 6 Another perspective view of the underwater tethered robot is shown in another configuration.

[0051] FIG7 shows several views of the frame of the robot, Fig. 7A It is a stereogram viewed from the front. Figure 7B is another perspective view from the rear, and Figure 7C It is a bottom view.

[0052] Figure 8 A perspective view of the support structure is shown.

[0053] Fig. 9 An underwater tethered robot is shown in a perspective view while cleaning the seabed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Figure 1 An underwater tethered robot suitable for use as a seabed cleaning platform (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the platform (1) comprises a floating barge (2) having a through opening (3) providing access to the water column below the floating barge (2).

[0055] For example Figure 4 and Figure 5 As more clearly shown in the drawing, the floating barge (2) is formed by a set of commercially available buoys (4) of standard shapes and sizes, which allow a modular construction so that by appropriately arranging and anchoring the buoys (4), a floating barge (2) of a desired configuration is obtained.

[0056] The floating barge (2) is designed for still water and offshore operations and the stability of the floating barge is ensured by anchor feet or wire anchors, depending on the depth of the seabed to be cleaned. The maximum operating depth is directly related to the width of the floating barge (2).

[0057] The floating barge (2) can be transported from one operating area to another by means of a tugboat, for example with azimuth twin-screw propellers, which provides excellent navigation capabilities in interior waters close to the coastline.

[0058] Alternatively, the seabed cleaning platform (1) is equipped with an onboard propulsion system and position stabilization using dynamic positioning to avoid anchoring the device, allowing precise navigation using tugboats only when required.

[0059] The seabed cleaning platform (1) further comprises: a submersible frame (11) equipped with tools (6) suitable for collecting debris underwater, such as hydraulic or electric grippers for collecting large objects and suction tools for collecting small debris; and at least three support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), the at least three support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) being mounted on the upper surface of the floating barge (2) and preferably extending upwardly from the upper surface of the floating barge (2), for example orthogonally.

[0060] Preferably, if Figure 5 As better shown in FIG. 1 , there are four support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), and each of the four support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is arranged at the corner of a rectangular area parallel or coplanar with the floating barge (2), wherein the opening (3) is rectangular and is formed in the interior or central area of ​​the floating barge (2). Each support structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is arranged near or at a corner of the rectangular opening (3). In other preferred embodiments, the floating barge may have other configurations, such as a U-shape.

[0061] The seabed cleaning platform (1) comprises four pairs of motor-driven winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), each pair of winches being placed, for example, at a corner of the rectangular opening (3), preferably mounted on a barge (2) or mounted together with a supporting structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d).

[0062] The seabed cleaning platform (1) comprises a system of cables or tendons (9) which can extend through an opening (3) of a floating barge (2) to connect a pair of winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) to a frame (11) via a set of pulleys (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) so that the frame (11) can be submerged for example Figure 3 The cleaning platform (1) is suspended under the floating barge (2) by a system of cables (9) during the cleaning operation (operating position) shown in FIG. 1 , or suspended above the floating barge (2) to assemble and / or maintain the frame (11) or to assemble and / or maintain the frame (11) while transporting the seabed cleaning platform (1), as shown in FIG. Figure 1In the parking position, not only the frame (11) is out of the water, but also the system of tools (6) and cables (9).

[0063] The system of cables (9) comprises a pair of cables for each pair of winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) so that each cable of the same pair is wound individually in one of the winches of the same pair.

[0064] Each supporting structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is provided with a bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d), and the bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) is movably mounted with the corresponding supporting structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), so that each bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) can move up and down relative to the floating barge (2).

[0065] In an alternative embodiment, the support structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) and the corresponding bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) are configured so that the bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) can be moved downwardly within the opening (3) just to a horizontal plane.

[0066] In addition, each bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) is equipped with a pair of pulleys (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d), so that each pulley in the pair of pulleys is associated with a winch of a corresponding pair of winches, so that one cable of the system of cables (9) is wound in the winch and runs on the corresponding pulley. Therefore, by moving the brackets (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) up and down in a coordinated manner, the system of cables (9) and thus the frame (11) can be moved up and down relative to the floating barge (2).

[0067] like Figure 6 and Fig. 9 As shown in the figure, the seabed cleaning platform (1) can include a crane (13) mounted on a floating barge (2), the crane (13) being used to lift and lower a basket (14). The crane (13) drops the basket (14) on the seabed, and the tool (6) of the frame (11) performs fine processing on the garbage to be deposited in the basket (14), and when the basket is full, the basket is lifted onto the floating barge (2).

[0068] A generator (15), a control room (16) including electrical equipment and an operator's room, a suction system including a vacuum hose (12) and a filter cage (18) are also mounted on the floating platform (2).

[0069] As in FIG. 7A to FIG. 7CAs shown in more detail in , the frame (11) has a main structure (5), and each of the eight cables of the system of cables (9) has such free ends connected to the frame (11) of the robot at connection points (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) remote from the main structure (5), these connection points are preferably located at the vertices of the main structure (5).

[0070] The system of cables (9) is arranged as follows Figure 5 The cross configuration better shown in FIG. 1 , wherein the term cross configuration means that from Figure 5 Each cable of the system of cables (9) intersects one of the consecutive cables of an adjacent support structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), as viewed in the top plan view shown in FIG.

[0071] Other equipment of the seabed cleaning platform (1) is also attached to the frame (11), such as: a camera and a set of sensors for manual, automatic and remote control operation, in particular sensors for measuring the depth of the robot's frame and sensors for measuring the displacement and orientation of the robot frame. In addition, the frame (11) is combined with a water vacuum hose (12) that allows the removal of small debris on the seabed and floating plastics in the lower water column. The robot frame (11) will not perform filtering, because the water flow will be directed to the platform, where filtering can be performed at the filter cage (18). Water, sand, seaweed, shells are thrown overboard back to the water.

[0072] The frame (11) also incorporates a tool (6), in this case comprising a hydraulic or electric gripper, which allows the removal of larger items such as: bicycles, household items, tires, paint containers, netting, polystyrene and similar objects.

[0073] Furthermore, the frame (11) is equipped with underwater perception sensors that allow visual feedback to be provided to the operator for teleoperated robotic control.

[0074] The frame (11) and its main structure (5) are characterized by compact dimensions to avoid collision with any object (rocks, etc.) when the frame (11) moves on the seabed, and the frame (11) has excellent eccentric balancing ability to withstand the water flow forces at different depths of the water column and at the seabed.

[0075] Additionally, the support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) are equipped with RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System), force sensors for the cables and inclinometers / IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for measuring the oscillating effects of the swell.

[0076] The frame (11) is designed as a compact but heavy structure for use in harsh outdoor and marine environments, thereby protecting all devices attached to the frame (11), and with the center of gravity at or as close as possible to the bottom area of ​​the frame to withstand the forces caused by the currents at different depths of the water column and at the seabed.

[0077] Furthermore, the seabed cleaning platform (1) has a control unit (not shown) adapted to control the operation of the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) in a coordinated manner so that by winding and unwinding the cables from the winches, i.e. by controlling the length and tension of the cables, the frame (11) can move in a precise and stable manner with at least six degrees of freedom in a three-dimensional working space below the floating barge (2) for collecting debris from the seabed and the water column, such as Fig. 9 as shown in .

[0078] The control unit is further adapted to control the operation of the carriage (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) so that the frame (11) is placed above the floating barge (2) through the opening (3) when the carriage is in its raised position and the frame (11) is submerged for cleaning operations when the carriage is in its lowered position.

[0079] The above configuration of the seabed cleaning platform (1) maximizes the three-dimensional working space of the frame (11). The working space is defined by a set of positions (displacements in the Cartesian axes X, Y, Z and rotations in Rx, Ry, Rz). Once the contact points (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8) and connection points (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) have been defined ( Figure 1 ), cable arrangement and maximum cable tension to support external forces, the frame (11) can reach the above-mentioned set of positions.

[0080] like Figure 1 As identified in: Contact points (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8) are also called pulling points and are the points of last contact between the cable and the pulley (because there is relative motion between the cable and the associated pulley). Connection points (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) are the attachment points between the cable and the frame (11) of the robot. The cable layout is the distance between point A and point B in each cable.

[0081] The working space also depends on the size of the floating barge (2). Four supporting structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) fix eight pulleys in pairs, which means that a working space with a prismatic rectangular shape is created. The positions of points A and B and the cable arrangement have been established with the aim of maximizing the working space of the cable robot. Maximization means having an optimal ratio between the footprint of the cable robot (the physical position of point A) and the extreme position of the frame (11) in the working space.

[0082] Due to the maximum allowed cable tension, point B on the upper side of the robot's frame (11) can be at a minimum distance of about 1.5 m from point A. The robot's frame (11) cannot be higher than this position, because in this case the cable tension will exceed the established limit. The height of the support structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is defined taking into account the maximum cable tension and the position of the robot's frame (11) relative to the floating barge (2).

[0083] For cleaning operation, the platform (1) can operate in two modes, namely a manual remote control operation mode and a semi-automatic remote control operation mode as described below:

[0084] Manual teleoperation mode: A human operator sitting at a computer will view images from underwater cameras and sensors and will use a joystick to remotely drive the tethered robot towards the trash and enable / adjust suction or gripping. A collision detection algorithm will simplify the operator's job to avoid collisions between the tethered robot and the seabed.

[0085] Semi-autonomous teleoperation mode: The purpose of this mode is to reduce complexity and operator-related fatigue by generating robot trajectories to perform predefined movements or reach specific points of interest automatically.

[0086] Fig. 9 The seabed cleaning platform (1) is shown when cleaning the seabed. This task can be performed in different modes, namely: suction in the water column, suction on the seabed and cabled robot execution on the seabed with a predefined trajectory.

[0087] The operating procedures of the seabed cleaning platform (1) are as follows:

[0088] Step 1: A ship carrying a multibeam sonar scans the seabed. Experts identify hot spots where ML accumulates.

[0089] Step 2: Once these hotspots are located on the RTK-GPS map, use the tugboat to move the cleaning platform over the hotspots.

[0090] Step 3: Positioning and anchoring the floating barge. If the cleaning point is located inside a harbor or lagoon, the platform deploys its anchors to fix the position of the anchors on the seabed. If the point is located in a deeper coastal area (up to 20m), anchors and winches with cables are used to stabilize the platform position.

[0091] Step 4: Navigate the water column in autonomous mode using a tethered robot with a vacuum end effector. While collecting floating plastics in the water column, a multibeam sonar scans the seabed and computes a high-precision 3D digital terrain model of the seabed area beneath the platform. The operator will use this map in combination with additional data provided by the RTK-GPS sensor to decide which robotic end effector to use, and the robot controller will use this map in combination with additional data provided by the RTK-GPS sensor to calculate possible collisions with the seabed and avoid robot movements in that direction.

[0092] Step 5: The operator selects the desired end effector and / or mounts the desired end effector on the tethered robot and begins cleaning the area either manually or through shared autonomous teleoperation. Trash is selectively removed, minimizing the impact of the cleaning on the ecosystem.

[0093] Step 6: When satisfied with the cleaning, transport the platform to the next area of ​​interest.

[0094] Although the main purpose of the platform (1) is to collect marine debris, the platform can also be used for rescue operations or underwater repair work.

Claims

1. An underwater cable robot (1), comprising: a floating barge or vessel (2) having an opening (3) providing access to a water column beneath the floating barge or vessel (2), a submersible frame (11) equipped with tools (6) suitable for performing underwater operations, at least three motor driven winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), said winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) being attached to said floating barge or vessel (2), a system of cables (9) extending through the opening (3) of the floating barge or vessel (2) and connecting the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) to the frame (11) via a set of pulleys (17a, 17b, 17c, 17c), wherein the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) and the system of cables (9) are arranged so that the submersible frame (11) is supported by the system of cables (9), A control unit adapted to control the operation of the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) in a coordinated manner so that by winding and unwinding the cables (9) from the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), the frame (11) can be moved within a three-dimensional working space below the floating barge or vessel (2) to perform underwater operations.

2. The underwater cable robot (1) according to claim 1 comprises at least three supporting structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) installed on the floating barge or ship (2), each supporting structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is provided with a bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d), and the bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) is installed together with the supporting structure (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) in a movable manner, so that each bracket (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) can move up and down relative to the floating barge or ship (2), and wherein, Each bracket (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is equipped with at least one pulley (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d), and each cable in the system of cables (9) runs on a pulley, so that the system of cables (9) can move up and down relative to the floating barge or ship (2) as the bracket (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) moves.

3. The underwater cabled robot (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising four pairs of motor-driven winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), and wherein: The system of cables (9) comprises a pair of cables for each pair of winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) so that each cable of the same pair is wound individually in one of the winches of the same pair.

4. The underwater cable robot (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The system of supporting structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) and cables (9) is configured so that the frame (11) can be pulled upwards through the opening (3) and placed above a horizontal plane in the opening (3) or above the upper surface of the floating barge or vessel (2) in order to perform assembly and / or maintenance work in the frame (11) or to perform assembly and / or maintenance work in the frame (11) while transporting the cable robot (1).

5. The underwater cable robot (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The control unit is also adapted to control the movement of the carriages (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) in a coordinated manner with the winches (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) to move the system of cables (9) and the frame (11) up and down.

6. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each of the support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is arranged at a corner of a rectangular area parallel to the floating barge or vessel (2).

7. The underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: A vision device adapted to capture images of the seabed and of the water column beneath the floating barge or vessel (2).

8. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The opening (3) is formed in a central area of ​​the floating barge or vessel (2).

9. The underwater cable robot (1) according to claims 2 and 8, wherein: The opening (3) is rectangular, and each pair of capstans (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is placed at a corner of the rectangular opening (3).

10. The underwater cabled robot (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein: The upper surface of the floating barge or vessel (2) is substantially flat and wherein at least a portion of each of the support structures (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) extends upwardly from the upper surface of the floating barge (2).

11. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The tool (6) is one of the following: a hydraulically or electrically operated gripper, or a water vacuum hose, or a robotic arm equipped with an end effector.

12. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The floating barge (2) is formed by arranging and anchoring a plurality of buoys (4) of the same shape and size to construct the floating barge (2).

13. The underwater cable robot (1) according to claim 7, wherein: The frame (11) has a main structure (5), and wherein the free end of each of the cables is connected to the frame (11) of the robot at a remote connection point (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) at the main structure (5), and wherein, preferably, the connection point (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) at the frame (11) is located at a vertex of the main structure (5).

14. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The robot's frame (11) is additionally equipped with at least one of the following: a vision device, a submersible camera adapted to capture images of the robot's tools, a sonar, and a depth sensor for measuring the depth of the robot's frame.

15. An underwater tethered robot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, adapted as a seabed cleaning platform, and wherein: The tool (6) is suitable for collecting debris underwater.

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