ecoSUB Robotics

ecoSUB Robotics is a leading developer of advanced and cost-effective AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) technology. We are committed to democratising marine autonomy and robotics, and our vehicles are designed to serve a wide variety of customers in the scientific, commercial and defence sectors.

ecoSUB AUVs

ecoSUB AUVs are compact, lightweight, and one-person portable for easy transport, deployment, and recovery. Capable of full autonomy, they can be operated with an extremely low logistical footprint, requiring only a laptop for over the horizon connection to and from the vehicles without internet access allowing missions to be conducted from anywhere in the world. ecoSUBs are also equipped with Wi-Fi and acoustic communications for local connectivity.

ecoSUB vehicles have been designed with an easily customised nosecone and payload bay that can be equipped with a wide range of COTS or custom sensors and payloads, including 4K cameras, imaging sonars, high-accuracy navigation systems, environmental and water quality sensors, and more. The versatile AUVs use hot-swappable alkaline or rechargeable NiMH batteries that can be easily replaced in the field.

ecoSUBµ5

500 metre-rated micro-AUV

Weighing just 4 kg in air and with a body length of 660 mm, the ecoSUBµ5 is our smallest AUV. It is ideal for carrying small payloads such as CT sensors, fluorometers, sound velocity probes or hydrophones, and can operate at depths of 500 metres for up to 12 hours on a single charge.

The low-cost platform is highly suited for mass deployment and large-scale data collection, and multiple units can be networked together for swarm operations.

ecoSUBm5 & ecoSUBm25

500 & 2500 metre-rated small AUVs

The ecoSUBm platform represents the next level up in power and payload capacity from our ecoSUBµ5 AUV, weighing 12kg in air with a standard length of 1 metre. It can be equipped with multiple payloads and is ideal for deploying a suite of scientific or survey sensors.

The ecoSUBm can be equipped with edge computing capabilities and is highly suited to mass data collection and swarm operations. It is available in 500 metre and 2500 metre-rated variants.

ecoSUBm5 Power+

500 metre-rated AUV with enhanced power & payload capabilities

The ecoSUBm5 Power+ is a special configuration of our ecoSUBm AUV that provides extra space for sensors and payloads, as well as a second set of batteries that can be used to power additional equipment or enhance the vehicle’s endurance. Even with this additional capability, the ecoSUBm5 Power+ is still highly portable, weighing just 17 kg.

In addition to a wide variety of standard equipment, the AUV can be equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano platform for advanced edge computing and machine learning when used with the “ecoCAM” 4K camera.

ecoSUB Deep Dive Mission to 2000m (click image for video):

Preconfigured Options

Our highly versatile AUVs can be equipped with many different combinations of sensors, payloads and specialized equipment for almost any application you can think of. We provide a range of convenient preconfigured solutions aimed at some of the most common use cases.

Scout Series

The Scout Series has been designed where high-precision location is required in survey applications for commercial and MCM work. These AUVs can be equipped with advanced navigation technologies including Doppler Velocity Logs, LBL network localization and USBLs all of which can be fused together with the basic inertial system to overcome the accuracy issues inherent in underwater dead reckoning.

Science Series

The Science Series feature a growing range of sensor options for measuring parameters such as sound velocity, conductivity, temperature, salinity, Chlorophyll-a, pH, H₂S waves and more. These AUVs can also be augmented with enhanced navigation if required.

Sniffer Series

The Sniffer Series is aimed primarily at hydrocarbon detection applications within the oil and gas sector, and is also ideal for emergency spill response. Use of a sensor specifically designed to discriminate for oil in water, this series provides accurate detection and measurement. These AUVs can also be configured to measure a range of other parameters, including Chlorophyll-a, backscatter, dissolved oxygen and more for fast and effective environmental impact operations.

Command & Control Systems

C3 GUI

Command, control and communications software for ecoSUB AUVs

The C3 GUI software provides a wide range of useful pre- and post-deployment functionalities for ecoSUB AUV operators, including maps and charts, checks and diagnostics, mission planning and real-time data visualization. A basic version is provided free with all ecoSUB vehicles, and an advanced version with additional capabilities is also available.

HERMES C³

Portable C3 hub for remote AUV operations

HERMES C³ provides a convenient and simple connection to ecoSUB AUVs via Wi-Fi, acoustic and Iridium satellite, allowing users to operate their vehicles from anywhere in the world. The portable unit connects to the control PC running our ecoSUB GUI software, and can also be used as an LBL (long baseline) surface node for enhanced vehicle navigation and positioning. HERMES C³ also incorporates 2G 4G cellular connectivity to provide a local Wi-Fi Hub.

HIVE

Enhanced C3 unit with integrated USBL

HIVE is an upgraded version of the HERMES C³ hub, featuring a fully-integrated Sonardyne Micro-Ranger 2 USBL system for vehicle tracking and position correction. A single HIVE unit can be utilized to control a swarm of ecoSUB AUVs.

Accessories

ecoCAM

4K underwater video & still imaging camera

The ecoCAM module provides ecoSUB5-Power+ AUVs with 4K video and still imaging capabilities, and is based around the 1.1″ Sony IMX267 global shutter CMOS sensor and Computar fixed 8mm lens. The compact module is mounted in a custom nosecone that allows the camera to be orientated from forward looking to downward-looking for seabed imaging.

ecoCAM can be coupled with the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano platform for advanced computer vision, machine learning and precision navigation applications.