VESSEL REVIEW | DriX O-16 – Transoceanic-capable USV for survey and subsea inspection duties
French maritime robotics company Exail and La Ciotat Shipyards have introduced DriX O-16, a new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) capable of transoceanic voyages.
The craft is designed for long-duration operations of up to 30 days. Exail said it benefits from an autonomy of 3,500 nautical miles and can deploy multiple payloads and subsea assets.
The vessel has a length of 15.75 metres (51.67 feet) and a displacement of 10.5 tonnes, making it nearly twice as long and five times as heavy as an earlier ocean exploration USV developed by iXblue (prior to its merger with the ECA Group to form Exail). A hybrid propulsion setup fed by a 2,300-litre (510-gallon) fuel tank delivers a service speed of just under 16 knots.
Capable of operating as a mothership for smaller robotic craft
The USV was designed to be capable of withstanding severe ocean conditions. The craft also has a dynamic positioning system while provisions will be available for the installation of AI-enabled obstacle detection and avoidance systems such as LIDAR, radar, and video and infrared cameras.
The USV's size allows for the installation of a range of payloads including multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, and acoustic subsea positioning and communication systems. The craft also features a launch and recovery system to deploy remotely operated towed vehicles (ROTVs), inspection-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The stern section is customisable to permit the integration of additional payloads as required.
Exail said the new transoceanic USV is particularly suited for full ocean depth scientific and hydrographic surveys, geophysical and UXO surveys, and subsea infrastructure inspections, which may require the deployment of multiple robots. Communication between the USV and shore control stations is via wifi, 4G, a Starlink satellite system, and a Kongsberg broadband radio. As with other Exail USVs, the craft may be either remotely controlled or allowed to operate autonomously under supervision.
Relying on a multi-channels redundant communication system, the USV can support both line of sight (LOS) and over the horizon (OTH) operations. In full OTH mode, the USV is able to select the most ideal communication mode depending on the environment, while smartly managing the use of bandwidth to guarantee critical data priorities.
First in a new series
The USV comes with a user-friendly human-machine interface (HMI) that allows operators to plan and control the craft and its parameters. The highly intuitive HMI features a graphical interface that enables real-time monitoring of various parameters such as status, mission planning and progress, sensors configuration, and alerts management. This allows operators to quickly understand the USVs’ status and make informed decisions during mission execution.
The USV and its components can be housed in two 40-foot containers, allowing the complete setup to be easily deployed globally. Launching can be accomplished directly from shore or a dock using a crane or other lifting equipment.
Production of the series is underway. La Ciotat Shipyards has confirmed that construction has already begun on the first 30 examples.
