AI robotics and navigation technology provider Advanced Navigation has unveiled its underwater drone, Hydrus, which is designed for marine research, survey and exploration.
According to the company, the fully autonomous platform makes data capture simple and accessible. Operational straight out of the box, ocean users of every grade will now have access to an all-in-one underwater inspection team.
Existing equipment designed for ocean exploration typically requires a large vessel fitted with lifting equipment, qualified crews, professional divers as well as health and safety requirements. This has made underwater data capture expensive, irregular, and often ineffective.
“We’ve seen a revolution take place in the aerial drone industry, 10-15 years ago, only qualified experts could fly drones. Today, drones are simple and reliable enough that anyone can use them – which is why we’re seeing them in countless industries.” said Xavier Orr, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation.
“Looking at underwater technology, we want the same thing to happen. At the moment, underwater vehicles require specialist knowledge and training to be used effectively. We’ve developed Hydrus to ensure professional grade underwater imagery and data is accessible to everyone, enabling greater opportunities across the ocean, whether it’s inspecting offshore wind farms, capturing undersea cinematography or monitoring coral reefs.”
Hydrus has the potential to discover why some of the ocean’s greatest climate change events are occurring. This includes CO2 absorption, reef bleaching, new diseases, loss of sea life and biodiversity, coastal erosion, and fishery decline amongst others.
The company added being able to regularly gather high resolution data will help measure the severity of these devastating events. It can then respond proactively, constructively and decisively. Together, with research partners, Advanced Navigation aim to discover how to restore and protect the oceans for future generations.
