HydroSurv, a UK innovator in the uncrewed surface vessel (USV) sector, has announced its partnership with Danish engineering company EIVA to supply autopilots for a lease fleet of USVs.
The integration of EIVA’s hydrographic survey software bundle, NaviSuite Kuda, with the autopilot technology installed on HydroSurv’s REAV-28 USV design offers operators adaptive line planning and automated area coverage optimisation tools to analyse MBES data in real time.
The software can automatically calculate optimal runlines based on collected data and position. Through streamlined integration with the autopilot, this results in precise line keeping typically with an accuracy of plus or minus 15cm, even in sharp turns.
For hydrographic surveyors, the solution extends the capability of HydroSurv USVs to intelligently and reliably complete shallow water missions while offering the operator a familiar front-end control interface. The USV is controlled straight out of the NaviSuite Kuda, designed to enable efficient, dependable, safe, low carbon remote data collection, as well as yielding immediate deliverable data.
“Working together with HydroSurv, EIVA has optimised our full hardware and software autopilot solution," Martin Kristensen, EIVA VP hardware development, said in a prepared statement announcing the partnership. "As a result, HydroSurv’s USVs can now leverage the survey capabilities of NaviSuite Kuda, such as advanced data acquisition and navigation-aiding, to sail towards complete autonomy.”
“EIVA has been a valued partner to HydroSurv since our entry into the USV space and we look forward to extending our collaboration further through mutual product development," David Hull, HydroSurv CEO, said. "Working symbiotically on the development of high-quality, small equipment sized USV products has seen EIVA develop a new core technology for commercial deployment onto HydroSurv’s [6' to 19.6'] vessels.”
EIVA has over 40 years’ experience in the development and delivery of solutions to offshore and shallow water engineering and survey industries. The company has worked with HydroSurv since early 2020, collaboratively developing EIVA’s NaviSuite Kuda — Autopilot.
HydroSurv’s first order quickly followed in 2021, with multiple autopilot systems now on order for USVs ranging from 5.2' to 14.7' .
