Thalassa has announced that its subsidiary Autonomous Robotics (ARL) has completed sea trials of a prototype flying node autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at a location off the coast of Plymouth harbour.

Conducted under the supervision of ARL engineering director Arran Holloway, the trials are claimed to be a major step forward in the proof of concept prototype development phase.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

ARL said that the trial successfully confirmed the AUV autonomous navigation and seabed landing and take-off operation.

Holloway said: “The AUV demonstrated exceptionally stable flight and accurate navigation during the trial and completed all tests successfully. This is a major milestone in the development of the flying node concept and demonstrates the viability of some of the novel features of the system.”

“The AUV demonstrated exceptionally stable flight and accurate navigation during the trial and completed all tests successfully.”

ARL, a UK-based marine robotics company, is developing an autonomous underwater platform for ocean floor-based sensing known as the flying nodes system.

Defence and offshore energy companies are seeking cost-efficient solutions to replace manually controlled deployment of large sensor grids on the ocean floor.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

ARL will provide a range of AUVs to offshore energy companies that will help them to autonomously deploy large sensor grids on the ocean floor.

Thalassa chairman Duncan Soukup said: “The autonomous sea trials were identified as a key milestone in the development of the flying node AUV. The success of these trials is a testament to the high level of professionalism and dedication of the ARL technical team, led by Arran Holloway.”

The nodes are capable of operating at a maximum depth of 3,000m with a 60-day recording duration.