Top AUV Companies around the world

Successful underwater exploration remained on the list of mankind for a very long time, until the mid-20th century, when the first unmanned underwater vehicle came into existence. A lot of it was owed to the consistent efforts of the US Navy to build such vehicles for deepwater exploration. However, like every other technology, underwater vehicles soon got the necessary boost in the form of automation, when in 1957, the first in the line of many autonomous underwater vehicles were used for exploration. Since then, various AUV companies have introduced a number of technological improvements in the AUV systems to enhance efficiency in AUV operations.

This article will read about some of the leading AUV companies, apart from the new aspects of AUV technology and the efforts of bringing sophistication to the system!

Global AUV Manufacturers

Oceaneering International: Houston-based Oceaneering International is one of the leading oilfield engineering and AUV companies. Established almost five decades ago, the firm majorly operates in the areas of subsea engineering and applied technology. Oceaneering offerings include Ocean Surveyor AUVs and AUV pipeline inspection services. Oceaneering AUVs features state-of-the-art laser micro bathymetry systems. Oceaneering blends side scan sonar, multibeam, camera, laser, and auto pipeline tracking to conduct pipeline inspection. The Oceaneering team can conduct the pipeline inspection either with a single-pass over the top of the pipe or a single pass on either side of the pipe.

Atlas Maridan: German maritime company, Atlas Maridan is one of the leading AUV companies in the world. The firm has a demonstrated history of conducting successful AUV-relied operations for the oil and gas industry. With in-depth know-how and domain expertise in the fields of hydroacoustics, sensor engineering, and information technology, Atlas Maridan has been a trusted service provider to numerous navies and civilian customers worldwide. The firm holds a specialty in underwater acoustics and offers innovative AUV services to various sectors. An Atlas Electronik group company, Atlas Maridan cates to a total of 10 business areas, which spans across 38 product groups.

General Dynamics Mission Systems (Bluefin Robotics): US-based General Dynamics Mission Systems is a leading provider of C4ISR solutions across the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. Established in the year 1999, GDMS is widely recognized for its Bluefin Robotics products, which includes proven autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and related technologies.

The History of AUV system

To understand the true impact of AUVs, it is important for us to see the history of how AUVs were developed and commercialized. It is clear that the AUVs today has become a technology whose time has come!

1950 – 1960s: The Development of First AUV

The first AUV was devised, initial use was found in the study of diffusion, acoustic transmission, and submarine wakes.

Prior to 1970: Special Applications of AUVs

Primitive investigations into the applications of AUVs were conducted. AUVs vehicles were mostly developed keeping very specific applications in mind.

1970 – 1980: Weighing the Potential of AUVs

This decade saw the development of testbeds for AUVs. To gather data from regions near the Arctic, the University of Washington APL devised the UARS and SPURV vehicles. The Marine Systems Engineering Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire (now known as the Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute) built the EAVE vehicle (an open space-frame AUV) in line with complementary steps taken at the US Navy’s San Diego facility. Meanwhile, the Institute of Marine Technology Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMTP, RAS) initiated their AUV development program by building the SKAT vehicles. They also developed the first deep-diving AUVs, L1 & L2. The 1970-80 decade saw the conduction of major experimentation with technology. While some succeded, many prototypes faced failures. In brief, the technology was just not that far ahead. Nonetheless, this decade saw significant advancement in the development of AUV.

1980 – 1990: Computers Come into Picture

The era from the 1980s to 1990s saw advances in technology outside AUVs make major impacts on the development of AUVs. The advent of computers brought about the potential of enforcing complex guidance and control algorithms on autonomous platforms. The vision of the development community could be implemented through the advances in software systems and engineering. However, it soon became clear that a huge leap had to be taken in terms of technological advancements if AUVs were to transform into operational systems. In 1980, for the first time, a symposium named “International Symposium on Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology” (UUST) was organized in Durham, New Hampshire, USA. This symposium was attended by 24 technologists. In the next seven years, this number grew to more than 320 people representing over 100 companies, 20 Universities, and 20 federal agencies.

Research programs began in the USA, providing significant funding to devise proof of concept (POC) prototypes. The most noteworthy were the efforts at Draper Labs, that saw the construction of two large-sized AUVs. These were then used as testbeds for numerous Navy programs. The decade from 1980-1990 would remain a turning point for AUV technology when it became clear that the technology would evolve into operational systems.

1990s – 2000s: Development of the technology

The time between 1990 to 2000 saw AUVs developing into first-generation operational systems capable of accomplishing specified targets. AUV development efforts were undertaken by numerous organizations for various operational

Tasks. This decade is also recognized for new uses for AUV applications such as the Autonomous Oceanographic Sampling System (AOSN).

2000 – 2019 – Commercialization of AUVs

In the past two decades, the commercialization process of AUVs has gained significant pace. New AUV Companies are now focusing on improving the accuracy of data gathered and enhanced processing of such data streams. The global market of AUVs has touched millions of dollars.

Why AUV Technology is Important

AUV technology has seen a massive transformation from the time the first AUV was developed. The introduction of big data and AI solutions for AUVs have greatly impacted the ROI behind these technologies. Advances in acoustic modems, one-way travel time (OWTT) navigation techniques, sensor technologies, and communication systems have encouraged AUV companies to develop high-quality AUVs. While a lot of developments still has to be made on the technological front, AUV will remain one of the most powerful and reliable tools for underwater exploration!