Enhancing Government Operations with USV Technology

Open Ocean Robotics completed a year-long project, showcasing the capabilities of our USV DataXplorer™ in various maritime scenarios. The project, conducted in collaboration with a government agency, involved multiple deployments to test and validate DataXplorer's performance in areas including but not limited to border patrol, anchorage checks and identification, remote and shoreline observations, buoy assessment, marine mammal monitoring, partial search and rescue, illegal fishing monitoring, dark vessel detections and multi-unit operations.

The key challenge was proving the USV's versatility across diverse scenarios to assist government agencies while demonstrating its ability to operate safely and effectively in conditions too dangerous or remote for crewed vessels.

CHALLENGE

SOLUTION

The innovative use of small, mobile USV fleets
Scalable, improves functionality, significantly lowers costs, emissions and safety risks, and increases the quality of evidence gathered.

Learn more about DataXplorer™

Each deployment was designed with one or more of the following five objectives

Optimizing Speed and Endurance

Measure and confirm maximum speed of USV and best speed-distance-endurance combination.

Ensuring Reliable Connectivity

Confirm command & control and data connectivity in both good cellular coverage and in remote areas where satellite connection is necessary.

Assessing Autonomous Potential

Determine USV usefulness and effectiveness to replace a crewed government vessel for certain observational tasks

Marine Interaction

Determine how USV interacts with marine mammals and sea life

Benchmarking Technology

Compare performance of this technology against other commercially available ones

HIGHLIGHTS

DataXplorer traveled 50 NM in winds over 40 knots off northern Vancouver Island and was able to operate in remote areas where crewed vessels can not go.

Collected data on pinnipeds and encountered a humpback whale, with no observed behavioral impact.

Autonomously patrolled diverse shorelines, while successfully locating target vessels, proving it can support border security, aid in search and rescue missions, and serve as a backup for navigation systems and weather monitoring.

RESULTS

Short Voyage Mission

Open Ocean Robotics DataXplorer™ was designed to patrol the shoreline and inspect a target vessel without knowing its location. It highlights our safe and precise mission maneuvering and commitment to delivering nearshore maritime domain awareness.

The boat successfully detected the ship in the front thermal camera at about 0.4 nautical miles. Open Ocean Robotics also has AI based detection system Enhanced Horizon™, which has proven to be effective at autonomously picking out targets beyond human eye capabilities and further extends the range of detection capabilities. The mission highlights the capabilities of the DataXplorer™ in low-cost shoreline surveillance, ensuring crew safety while providing continuous monitoring of coastal areas.

Click the button below to learn more about Enhanced Horizon™ and Underwater Listener™.

DataXplorer™ was deployed off the northern tip of Vancouver Island, an area that commonly experiences high sea states that are risky for crewed vessels. During this mission, DataXplorer™ traveled 50 nmi in wind speeds of over 40 kn. During the mission’s peak environmental conditions, it capsized but quickly self-righted thanks to its patented rollbar system.

Besides the rollbar, DataXplorer™ and our XplorerView™ piloting Portal have multiple other features that allow it to explore all areas of the ocean. Its hull shape and low draw allow it to seamlessly transit in coastal areas, and navigational changes on XplorerView™ such as new missions, inputs to motor speed, and the ability to drive in reverse are what allow pilots to successfully maneuver around or through kelp rafts and other marine debris. These instances demonstrate DataXplorer's™ robust performance and reliability in challenging marine conditions.

Marine Mammal Monitoring

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DataXplorer™ was deployed in the Race Rocks ecological reserve where it patrolled the shoreline to collect images of the hauled-out pinniped population, and during this period encountered a humpback whale. No negative impacts or changes in behaviour were observed, likely due to DataXplorer’s™ compact size, quiet motor, and low speeds. Acoustic detectors running onboard DataXplorer™ were integrated to alert operators to any marine mammal vocalizations, and a near-real time acoustic stream and spectrogram was transmitted to shore.

This mission showcases DataXplorer’s ability to monitor for marine mammals, with minimal environmental impact providing essential data to better understand migration patterns and enhance vessel strike avoidance strategies.

Multi-USV Mission

During the Multi-USV Mission, two DataXplorers™ were deployed into local waters. Each USV surveyed a designated 2x2 nmi area, demonstrating the user-friendly nature of these vehicles. The operator efficiently managed both USVs on the XplorerView™ platform, allowing them to execute and update the autonomous missions on the fly using our advanced mission planning tools. The autonomous capabilities of DataXplorer™, coupled with the simple and user-friendly interface of XplorerView™, enables operators to effectively oversee multiple units in the field.

Launch and Recovery

At a base weight of 140 kg (309 lbs) and a length of 3.6m (11.7 ft), DataXplorer™ is a compact option for oceanic data collection and can be easily loaded into the bed of a pickup truck or the deck of a large vessel. Our custom four-wheel trailers allow for easy transport over multiple types of terrain, simplifying the launch and recovery process. Besides standard boat ramps, DataXplorer™ was launched from a number of areas, including the following:

Rocky Beaches: Using a team of three, DataXplorer was launched and recovered from a rocky beach using a four-wheel trailer specifically designed for quick and efficient operations.
Catamarans: DataXplorer was launched and recovered from the back of a catamaran equipped with a specially-designed roll cage trailer.
Cranes: DataXplorer was launched and recovered using a crane that attached to the specially-designed roll cage trailer. DataXplorer is also equipped with lifting points directly on the USV, allowing field teams to recover it and place it directly onto the standard OOR trailers.