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saildrone

Saildrone and Meta complete first unmanned, autonomous deep-water route survey in the North Atlantic

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In a first-of-its-kind demonstration mission, Saildrone, in partnership with Meta, parent company of Facebook, have successfully completed a deep-water cable route survey in the North Atlantic using the Saildrone Surveyor, a 20-meter uncrewed surface vehicle (USV).

This innovative project represents a major milestone in the evolution of ocean survey technology, proving that autonomous platforms can deliver data quality and performance on par with traditional crewed survey vessels – while dramatically reducing risk and cost.

During the 26-day survey conducted in June and July 2024, the Saildrone Surveyor mapped more than 4,500 km of seabed, including complex topographies and challenging conditions, without a port call or outside assistance. [Read more…] about Saildrone and Meta complete first unmanned, autonomous deep-water route survey in the North Atlantic

Saildrone completes autonomous survey of Gulf of Maine

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Saildrone has mapped 1,500 square nautical miles in the north-central Gulf of Maine in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s efforts to survey deep-sea coral habitat.

The Gulf of Maine is a productive and dynamic marine environment, with a diverse array of marine life, productive fisheries, unique underwater habitats, and a complex topography of deep basins, shallow banks, and steep slopes.

However, there is extremely limited mapping data available, especially in deeper waters. [Read more…] about Saildrone completes autonomous survey of Gulf of Maine

American Bureau of Shipping issues ‘first ever’ autonomous vessel classification for Saildrone

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Saildrone, a specialist in ocean data collection using autonomous vehicles, has received what it says is “the first-ever classification for an autonomous, uncrewed surface vehicle” (USV) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

The Saildrone Voyager, the mid-class vehicle in Saildrone’s rapidly expanding fleet, is the first-ever commercial USV to receive classification. ABS has been setting rigorous standards for safety and excellence as one of the world’s leading classification organizations and is at the forefront of marine and offshore innovation.

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. [Read more…] about American Bureau of Shipping issues ‘first ever’ autonomous vessel classification for Saildrone

Saildrone fleet surpasses 1 million nautical miles and 32,000 days at sea

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Saildrone says it has reached “another major milestone”. Its fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) has surpassed an incredible cumulative distance of 1,000,000 nautical miles during more than 32,000 days at sea, deployed on missions around the globe.

Equivalent to circumnavigating the Earth 48 times and almost 89 years at sea for a single vehicle, this achievement demonstrates the scale of Saildrone’s operations and the tireless efforts of its team to push the boundaries and capabilities of uncrewed systems.

The record was achieved exactly 10 years after the company’s first major milestone, when the very first Saildrone USV sailed from San Francisco to Hawaii in October 2013. The 2,200-nautical mile journey took just 34 days. [Read more…] about Saildrone fleet surpasses 1 million nautical miles and 32,000 days at sea

Sailing seas of data: Autonomous Saildrone vessel to study Earth’s oceans, weather and marine life

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A startup company called Saildrone says its uncrewed vehicles are helping to study Earth’s weather, marine life, the ocean floor and much more.

The startup’s nautical data collection technology has tracked hurricanes up close in the North Atlantic, discovered a 3,200-foot underwater mountain in the Pacific Ocean and begun to help map the entirety of the world’s ocean floor.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company develops autonomous uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) that carry a wide range of sensors. [Read more…] about Sailing seas of data: Autonomous Saildrone vessel to study Earth’s oceans, weather and marine life

Saildrone develops ‘next generation ocean data products’ with Siemens Xcelerator as a Service

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Siemens Digital Industries Software says that Saildrone, a California-based company that designs, manufactures, and operates a fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), has adopted Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, including cloud-enabled Xcelerator as a Service solution, enabling it to innovate faster and more collaboratively across the entire organization without the burden of a traditional IT infrastructure. (See video below.)

Saildrone has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio for product design, engineering and manufacturing, including NX software for 3D product engineering and Teamcenter® X for product lifecycle management (PLM).

The interoperability offered by Siemens Xcelerator enables Saildrone to easily integrate mechanical and electronic design information. In addition to helping manage product engineering complexity, Saildrone has used Teamcenter X to improve data and collaboration between disciplines. [Read more…] about Saildrone develops ‘next generation ocean data products’ with Siemens Xcelerator as a Service