NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab Orders Underwater Drone from UUV Aquabotix Ltd

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Aquabotix Technology Corporation is set to supply the National Aeronautics Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with an unmanned underwater drone for the latter’s exploration program under Ocean Worlds.
• Aquabotix expects a substantial increase in demand for its undermanned underwater vehicles and underwater camera products for the restoration of several areas in the US and the Caribbean destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.
• The Sydney-based company specialises in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) products used for commercial, academic and military purposes.

The National Aeronautics Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has ordered an unmanned underwater drone from Aquabotix Technology Corporation reportedly for its exploration program under Ocean Worlds.

The Ocean Worlds exploration program aims to help NASA create multidimensional oceanic environment maps in its bid to find life in the solar system.

“We are proud of being able to provide NASA’s JPL with a vehicle that is fully configurable to their needs. Our team is working to integrate specialist sensors fit for purpose, which is made possible due to Aquabotix’s digital architecture,” Aquabotix CEO Durval Tavares said.

NASA’s purchase of the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) Endura 300 from Aquabotix is proof of the company’s reputation as a technology leader even in complicated missions underwater.

Aquabotix Limited is an underwater robotics company based in Sydney, Australia. It holds intellectual property rights to a variety of underwater cameras and unmanned underwater vehicles. The company manufactures networked underwater cameras and underwater drones not only for military applications but also for high-end consumers and the commercial market.

The order is accredited for the higher trading share Aquabotix got in the market. Aquabotix expects a substantial rise in demand for its vehicles considering the massive reconstruction works required in the United States and the Caribbean because of the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

Aquabotix started its initial public offering (IPO) early this year to raise new funding for the company in April before it got listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

The company started its operations in 2011 and has shopped around 350 underwater drones since then. It recorded an estimated sales of up to AU$1.1 million last year.

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