Sea drone manufacturer partners with UK oceanography centre
UK-based AutoNaut, which makes wave-propelled unmanned surface vehicles aimed at affordable oceanic data gathering, has entered a formal partnership with the National Oceanography Centre's (NOC) Marine Robotics Innovation Centre. While they were first worked together on a competition in 2013, the latest move will bring them closer together, with AutoNaut's technical and business development team working with the NOC’s marine autonomy and robotics personnel in its innovation centre.

AutoNaut Ltd has formally become a partner with the Marine Robotics Innovation Center. U.K.-based AutoNaut and the NOC have maintained a long-term relationship since 2013 and this move is a sign of the company’s increasing ambitions.

Recent investment from the Seiche Group has enabled AutoNaut to expand manufacturing facilities and engineering expertise as well as recruit several new members of staff. A desk in the innovation center will be utilized by AutoNaut Ltd technical and business development personnel to work alongside the NOC’s marine autonomy and robotics team.

The NOC first worked with AutoNaut (then trading as MOST [AV]) in 2013 on a government-backed Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition. Following the success of this competition the NOC purchased an AutoNaut vehicle, which now sits as part of its fleet.

In 2014 the vehicle’s maiden voyage for the NOC was the participation in Europe’s largest single deployment of surface and submarine autonomous vehicles for the MASSMO (Marine Autonomous Systems in Support of Marine Observations) project. The NOC’s AutoNaut, Gordon, weathered Atlantic storms while collecting a range of oceanography and acoustic data, while tracking birds and fish with cameras and hydrophones.