ACUA Ocean, RS Aqua to Scale Offshore AI Acoustic Data Gathering

ACUA Ocean has signed a memorandum of understanding with RS Aqua to accelerate the remote deployment of long-endurance, persistent ocean acoustic data-gathering systems using uncrewed offshore platforms.

Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on scaling long-endurance offshore missions involving the deployment of AI-enabled deep-water acoustic sensors in open-ocean environments.

The partnership focuses on the technical integration and operational development of clusters of RS Aqua’s NiKA ASW Profiling Floats equipped with MARLIN AI acoustic processing systems, deployed by ACUA Ocean’s long-endurance, high sea state-capable uncrewed surface vessel (USV) PIONEER.

The combined mothership-and-payload concept is designed to allow the deployment of dozens of ASW profiling floats from USV PIONEER during a single mission.

The approach is intended to support persistently positioned offshore platforms capable of deploying deep-water sensors at short notice, while reducing the operational risks and costs associated with crewed vessels and manual deployment in hazardous offshore environments.

“Partnering with RS Aqua enables the perfect conceptual and technological match of their suite of technologies, particularly the NiKA floats and MARLIN software, with USV PIONEER.

“This is another example of where we believe that USV PIONEER offers something that cannot be found in any similarly-sized and priced USV - a highly cost-effective method of poising a mobile launch platform in open-ocean conditions over several weeks, from which hundreds of highly-capable underwater sensors can be launched,” said Neil Tinmouth, Chief Executive Officer of ACUA Ocean.

“Our partnership with ACUA Ocean means that for the first time we will be able to deploy large numbers of covert ocean monitoring systems from an uncrewed vessel that has regulatory approval and is proven in high sea states. This capability will be a game-changer for the fields of ocean science and anti-submarine warfare, making the rapid deployment of smart underwater monitoring systems across the globe quicker, safer and cheaper,” added Ryan Mowat, Director of Innovation at RS Aqua.