Welcome to Unmanned Craft Week!

The unmanned craft sector is undergoing a massive boom at present. This is particularly so at the smaller end of the market with new and interesting vessels being launched seemingly daily.

There are unmanned surface vessels (USVs), unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs), autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), remotely operated vessels (ROVs) and many more acronyms. They are utilised in all manner of roles from defence and offence through intelligence gathering, surveillance and response in the military field to oceanographic, hydrographic, meteorological and other survey activities in the civilian segment. Of course, despite the slump in the offshore oil and gas sector, unmanned craft that really originated in that sector continue to play important roles.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles • Unmanned Underwater Vehicles • Remotely Operated Vehicles

The innovation that we see demonstrated practically daily in unmanned craft is exciting and inspiring, and it seems that we have a long time to go before that market niche will be sated.

Meanwhile, Baird Maritime will continue to keep its readers informed as to the latest developments and innovations that materialise in the sector.

Vessel Reviews:

• ROV takes on long-endurance, harsh-environment missions for Canadian Coast Guard
  
• SeaML – Compact, versatile autonomous craft for German research body
• Fitzroy – Unmanned survey vessel for UK’s Peel Ports
• Aker BioMarine acquires USV for Antarctic krill harvesting work
  
• Knifefish – US Navy tasks new underwater drones with minehunting in littoral waters
• Italy’s Lighthouse gets autonomous craft with 4,500-metre diving capability

News and Gear:

• South Korean partnership to develop rescue-optimised AUV
• Canadian robotics firm introduces new ROV series
• New uncrewed water taxis begin trials in Amsterdam’s canals
• Royal Navy receives new autonomous minehunting craft
• US firm to supply UUVs to Royal New Zealand Navy
• Ocean Infinity acquires Ambrey
• Okeanus Science and Technology acquires ASV for survey duties
• US Navy places order for two UUVs
• Australian-French partnership to develop autonomous MCM systems
• US naval research laboratory to test shark skin-like, low-drag surfaces on UUVs

Recent Important Features:

FEATURE | The ROBOSHIP project: a new autonomous navigation system under development in Japan

– “The system has been designed to perform functions including route planning, course control, speed control, and collision avoidance.”

Remember to come back every day to see the latest news, opinion and vessel reviews!

Call for content!

Any news or views about the unmanned vessel industries? Send it through to [email protected] ASAP (between now and July 2), so we can add it to this current edition of Unmanned Craft Week!

We are after:

• Vessels – Orders, new deliveries, under construction
• Gear – Latest innovations and technology in the unmanned vessel sector
• Interviews – Owners, operators, research organisations, etc.
• Reminiscences – Do you have any exciting, amusing or downright dangerous anecdotes from your time in the unmanned vessel world? (example here)
• Other – Any other relevant news