Marine Advanced Robotics and Planck Aerosystems have established a strategic alliance to provide a multi-domain robotic team that includes an unmanned surface vessel (USV) equipped with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) that operate together for advanced mission profiles.
The first system of its kind, the UAS-USV combination has broad applicability in the maritime sector. Applications include offshore infrastructure inspection (such as wind turbines and oil platforms), patrols of marine protected areas and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and defense and security use cases. The sUAS can be operated remotely as a push-button capability, which includes autonomous launch and recovery, as well as automatic securing and recharging while not in flight. The USV can travel long distances unsupported, even in high sea states, and can host additional sensors above and below the water. The combined system is currently in trials for early customers. It will be offered as an enabling capability to all customers in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“The combination of Planck’s unmanned aircraft system with Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) technology will enable greater situational awareness for multiple applications,” said Mark Gundersen, CEO of Marine Advanced Robotics. “Thanks to Planck’s ACE (Autonomous Control Engine) on the UAS and the inherent stability of the WAM-V, we’re able to provide a USV/UAS solution that can operate in open ocean conditions. Together we’re providing force multiplier solutions for aerial and surface missions for our defense and commercial customers.”
“This strategic partnership builds upon our existing relationship with Marine Advanced Robotics, which has included collaborative multi-domain deployments for Navy base security applications,” said Dave Twining, COO of Planck Aerosystems. “WAM-Vs are the ideal unmanned maritime platform for operating UASs, and we’re excited to see how far we can go with the combined system.”
Source: Press Release