Aquatic Drone Firm Dives Deeper with Two Major Alliances

Australian start-up Aquabotix is diving deeper into the depths of the aquatic drone business and swimming with some greater fish.

This week, the corporate joined the U.S. Navy’s Forward Deployed Energy and Communications Outpost program as a member of the Innovative Undersea Prototype Development Consortium. The consortium is tasked with creating “a forward deployed, open, scalable and coordinated undersea energy replenishment, data management, and communications infrastructure for undersea vehicles and sensors.”

In addition, the start-up is teaming up with the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance, a gaggle that identifies and promotes “issues that contribute to the national security of the United States, with a particular focus on thought leadership and technical innovation in undersea technologies.”

The two partnerships not solely join Aquabotix with the world’s largest naval drive, but additionally with world leaders in protection, together with BAE Systems, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

“We continue to execute on our strategy of leaning on our strengths in the defense industry and of close engagement with governmental customers, particularly the United States Navy,” Aquabotix CEO Whitney Million mentioned. “Joining SENEDIA affords Aquabotix access that is difficult for non-members to gain. Our inclusion in this Alliance firmly bolsters Aquabotix as a contributor of the defense community and policymaker ongoing dialogue.”

The Alliance collaborates with the protection business in addition to the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.

So far, 2018 has been clean crusing for Aquabotix. In April, the corporate launched SwarmDiver, a micro-aquatic drone that may deal with floor and underwater missions as a single car or in a swarm. In swarms of 30 models, the drones can dive on command and gather underwater information for surveying, aquatic analysis, surveillance and reconnaissance for army and industrial customers.

In January, Aquabotix launched the Integra AUV/ROV (autonomous underwater car/remotely operated car), a second-generation hybrid, underwater drone that may conduct a number of underwater missions, whereas offering a cost-efficient different to deploying separate AUVs and ROVs for individualized duties.

The Integra is supplied with configurable sensor arrays and might be deployed by a single person. Aquabotix officers say the AUV is right for scientific analysis, inspections or law-enforcement/protection ops.