iXblue’s navigation technology has been selected by marine research organization ProMare for incorporation into the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), providing the vessel with high-accuracy navigation capabilities.
The unmanned surface vessel (USV) is one of the first autonomous ships to cross the Atlantic, and will make the voyage in April 2021, to commemorate the fourth centenary of the original Mayflower crossing. iXblue will provide its high-grade Octans Attitude & Heading Reference System (AHRS) to deliver key navigation information to the ship during its transatlantic voyage. Based on Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology, the Octans AHRS will provide the MAS with highly accurate and robust navigation information such as the ship’s heading, roll, pitch and heave.
Brett Phaneuf, Managing Director at ProMare, commented: “We’ve depended on iXblue Phins and Octans for years across many commercial and defense programs. The Octans is easy to install and set-up, provides unparalleled precision in navigation and is bullet-proof in terms of performance and reliability. When it comes to the Mayflower Autonomous Ship and a fully autonomous voyage across the Atlantic, there simply was no other choice than Octans. Bringing iXblue onboard is a fantastic addition to our consortium of supporter and partner organizations, all of whom share a passion for ocean exploration and marine technological innovation.”
Shayan Haque, Business Development Manager for iXblue, stated: “We’re very excited to be on board this adventure that will advance the development of commercial autonomous ships and help transform the future of marine research. For our navigation technology to be chosen to provide autonomous capabilities to such an unmanned ship is an undeniable endorsement of our technology. We’re very proud to be onboard the MAS.”
