Advanced Navigation unveils subsea robotics centre

AI-based inertial navigation technology company Advanced Navigation has unveiled Australia’s largest subsea robotics centre in Balcatta, Western Australia, incorporating high tech manufacturing and R&D facilities on a 5.5 acre site.

The new facility (pictured) will accelerate the production of the company’s revolutionary subsea technologies, including autonomous underwater robot Hydrus, and the growth of its underwater artificial intelligence division.

The companies in-house design and vertical integration has ushered in many innovations, including extreme miniaturisation of pressure-tolerant electronics, sophisticated sonar technologies and AI-based autonomous systems.

In 2021 Advanced Navigation announced its ambition to be the first Australian company whose products operate on the Moon in 2024 through its development of unique navigation systems.

The new centre also includes full testing facilities with several marine simulation environments to ensure reliable performance and the highest quality production.

CEO and Co-Founder Xavier Orr said WA had always been an exploration hub for ocean discoveries.

Orr said: “Now more than ever, there is a need to open up the earth’s oceans, to make data and knowledge more accessible to global communities, research institutions and governments.

“The new subsea centre will help Advanced Navigation meet the growing demand for high-grade underwater data, bringing new and existing solutions to market far more quickly and efficiently.

“With the goal to grow our subsea team threefold, we are confident this investment will deepen and advance our understanding of the oceans.”

The subsea centre is split between development and manufacturing for high volume production and continued research and expansion of subsea navigation and robotics technologies.

Advanced Navigation’s break-through underwater navigation and robotic technologies are utilised across the blue economy, supporting research, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, transportation, surveillance, biotechnology and high-tech services.

The company’s recent autonomous underwater robot Hydrus continues to revolutionise undersea research, survey and exploration by making data capture far simpler and vastly more accessible.

The Hydrus design synthesises numerous cutting-edge navigational, sonar, propulsion and data capture technologies with highly developed and sophisticated artificial neural network (ANN) intelligence.

With support from prominent research institutions including the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and philanthropic organisation Minderoo, Advanced Navigation continues to establish sustainable technologies to foster the growth of the blue economy, nationally and internationally.

The subsea centre is just one of several investments made by Advanced Navigation as it continues to expand its global reach and capabilities.

The Sydney-based company has research centres ing Brisbane for aerial drone technology, Canberra for photonic and laser technology and Newcastle for quantum sensing.

“In addition to novel autonomous subsea robotics, Advanced Navigation delivers AI-enhanced navigation technologies for land, sea, air and space applications. The company is committed to developing innovative products and systems that will be catalysts of the autonomy revolution.”

Further reading:
ADVANCED NAVIGATION AIMS TO BE FIRST AUSTRALIAN TO THE MOON
ADVANCED NAVIGATION RAISES $108 MILLION SERIES B LED BY KKR

Picture: Advanced Navigation