MoU sets the stage to deploy and recover swarms of AUVs from ACUA’s Pioneer-class surface vessel
ACUA Ocean and Bedrock Ocean Exploration have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the launch and recovery of swarms of autonomous underwater vehicles from ACUA’s Pioneer-class surface vessel.
ACUA Ocean and Bedrock Ocean Exploration have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the launch and recovery of swarms of autonomous underwater vehicles from ACUA’s Pioneer-class surface vessel.
Bedrock is a vertically integrated ocean-mapping company that uses compact, fully electric fleets of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and automated insight generation to deliver fast, cost-effective, high-resolution seafloor data. By operating underwater with stable, closely coupled sensor platforms, Bedrock overcomes the limitations of traditional ship-based surveys and long layback to provide better data quality, rapid mobilization, and lower operational risk.
The partnership agreement seeks to design and develop novel launch and capture mechanisms for the deployment of an initial swarm of three Bedrock AUVs. Utilising ACUA’s Pioneer Mk2 vessel as a mothership from which to remotely deploy the AUV’s will accelerate transit to and from the operational site and reduce the need for costly crewed vessels. Additionally, moving to “nested robotic” systems reduces weather challenges, enabling year round operations from ACUA’s stable SWATH platform.
Combining the Bedrock and ACUA systems will transform the way that governments and industry collect and use seafloor data, enabling the systematic exploration of the oceans, monitoring of critical national infrastructure and collection of a wide range of geophysical, hydrographic and biodiversity data.
Commenting on the announcement, Neil Tinmouth, CEO of ACUA Ocean said: “The partnership seeks to transform the way we collect ocean data by unlocking cost-effective and scalable offshore capabilities. The combination of Bedrock’s cutting edge AUV and data platform and ACUA’s stable, long endurance USVs will drive down cost and risk of full ocean data collection and accelerate the development and monitoring of critical offshore infrastructure.”
“This is a major milestone in maritime autonomy. Two companies united by a shared commitment to safety and efficiency are proving that interoperable technologies are key to transforming how we engage with the ocean. It’s especially meaningful to see bold ideas become real-world capability. As two small, mission-driven teams across the world, we’re proud to bring this innovation to our customers and deliver the future with unprecedented economics together,” says Charles Chiau, CEO of Bedrock Ocean Exploration.
