Blue Armada Robotics, a pioneering Polish marine data company recognised among European Leaders of Offshore Renewable Energy by the ELBE Alliance, has announced a significant partnership with uncrewed surface vessel (USV) producer HydroSurv. As part of this collaboration, Blue Armada has acquired their first REAV-60 USV, marking a strategic move to capture the uncrewed marine data collection market in the Baltic Sea and further tap the emerging opportunities through international expansion and the ELBE strategic cluster network for North America and Asia.
Michal Latacz, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Armada Robotics, emphasised the broader vision for the company: “As an uncrewed fleet operator, we aspire to procure and sell data as a service (DaaS), enabling the digital twinning and longer service life of assets at sea. To achieve this, we develop our own proprietary technologies and collaborate with the best technology producers in the market, creating an ecosystem of the very best in marine robotics.”
Vessels boast a six-metre length and multi-day endurance with fully hybrid-electric drive trains. Its 200 kg payload allows for a diverse range of onboard equipment, including inspection-class ROV systems. Blue Armada has fittingly named their first REAV-60 vessel ‘Arctos’, Latin for ‘Bear’, that reflects the nature of USVs composing Blue Armada’s innovative fleet in the upcoming time. Latacz described it as “strong, resilient, and reliable—our bears of the sea.”
David Hull, Founder & CEO of HydroSurv, expressed his excitement about the partnership: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Michal Latacz and Blue Armada Robotics as they leverage the full potential of the REAV-60. Blue Armada’s ambitious deployment strategy is truly impressive, and our channel partnership underscores our shared commitment to providing remote-operation solutions for sustainable data collection in the offshore renewables and oil and gas sectors.”
Source: Blue Armada Robotics
The first strategic acquisition sets the cornerstone for the Blue Armada Robotics fleet, as the company aims to extend its numbers in upcoming near future. These acquisitions are set to revolutionise the inspection of offshore wind farms beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) supervised from remote operation centres in Poland. Additionally, the Arctos line will showcase Blue Armada’s capabilities to conduct a range of services, including pre- and post-construction site surveys (MBES, SSS, SBP, UXO), cyclic and on-demand asset supervision with Balance-of-Plant integrity checks including but not limited to foundations, monopiles, jackets, inter-array and export cables.
Arctos line, will enable real-time data transmission, including from multi-beam, sonars and close-to-object imagery, directly to asset-owning clients and Tier 1 suppliers both domestically and internationally. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for July 2024, with demonstrations in the Baltic planned for later this year. This partnership marks a significant step forward in marine robotics and data services in the Baltic, promising enhanced efficiency and sustainability for the offshore industry and beyond.
Source: Blue Armada Robotics
