Intriguing news from Saildrone. The developer of ocean data collection using autonomous vehicles announced that it has received the first-ever classification for an autonomous, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV).
From their announcement:
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has been a driving force in shaping the standards for safety and excellence in design and construction for the maritime industry for over 150 years. Saildrone is excited to announce that ABS has issued the first-ever class certificate for a commercial, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) for the Saildrone Voyager.
Classification is a major milestone for Saildrone, allowing the Voyager to operate in the ports and waters of countries that require vessels to be classed by organizations such as ABS, and demonstrates Saildrone’s commitment to safety, standardization, and reliability in its technology and operations.
“Saildrone has spent three years maturing the Voyager design to be the industry leader in capability, reliability, and safety in the uncrewed vehicle sector,” said Richard Jenkins, CEO and founder of Saildrone. “This classification from the American Bureau of Shipping defines the new gold standard for autonomous systems and underscores the maturity of our technology.”
The 10-meter (33-foot) Voyager is Saildrone’s mid-size platform in its rapidly expanding fleet. The Voyager carries an impressive payload for coastal ocean mapping operations, including high-resolution MBES and Innomar SBP systems, and is the only survey USV that can deliver long-duration multibeam mapping surveys meeting the highest industry standards. Its ISR sensor suite for defense applications includes a smart camera array, digital radar, and sub-surface passive acoustics.
Saildrone USVs are equipped with a suite of sensors and instruments, enabling them to collect a wide range of ocean data above and below the sea surface. They are primarily powered by wind and solar energy, making Saildrone USVs an environmentally friendly solution for long-duration ocean data missions.