Clearpath Robotics' Kingfisher M100 unmanned surface vehicle, initially designed for universities, is starting to find its way into commercial and security uses.
The catamaran-style vehicle is "designed to simplify marine sensing research in the area of ISR for harbor surveillance and defense, or environmental monitoring for surveying and water quality assessment," said company CEO Matthew Rendall.
"It was designed initially for universities, so we have a few of these units at MIT, for example," Rendall said while guiding the vehicle in the maritime demo tank on the show floor. "They are doing some autonomous marine sensing research. We're also finding that there's a strong pull into the environmental sector for water quality assessment."
The system will also have a pilot deployment for water surveillance in Alberta, Canada.
The system, which has a 4-6h endurance, is modular and easy to transport, Rendall said. It collapses into a space small enough to fit in the trunk of a car.
"It's one-man portable, one-man launchable, you set it into the water, plan the mission, launch the mission, collect the data, retrieve the vessel, and return home," Rendall said. "It's a very simple operation to collect maritime data, which typically takes a lot of time and people to do."
Source: Flight Daily News
