UK-headquartered BMT has joined forces with Australia-based Ocius Technology intending to deploy a fleet of around 1,000 uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) that will create an interconnected system of remote sensors that supply data for the development of offshore wind projects.
The deployment of these autonomous vessels will begin immediately, the companies said, to provide limited operational capability within the next two years in the Asia Pacific region.
The partners said they aim to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of the Bluebottle USV for providing data as a service (DaaS). The companies will focus on co-developing a commercial data collection and management model, initially targeting environmental monitoring for offshore wind projects.
“The Bluebottle USV is ideally suited for these projects, reducing the need for crewed data collection, and benefiting from the sustained and persistent operations that a Bluebottle can deliver. Further, the Bluebottle’s novel propulsion system, which leverages renewable energy sources, not only offers a clean solution, but also supports long-term operations without physical intervention,” said the companies.
The initial focus will be on supporting offshore wind customers in Australia with necessary environmental analysis and planning.
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The vessels, which are planned to be deployed within the next ten years, will provide data for environmental monitoring, maritime security, asset monitoring, and marine life observation.
By collecting metocean data, imagery, and environmental metrics, the Bluebottle platform is said to support a range of applications, including environmental monitoring, collecting metocean data, and providing real-time security data.