At the center of this evolution is the collaboration between Strategic Robotic Systems and Reach Robotics. By integrating Reach Robotics’ high-dexterity manipulators with the Strategic Robotic Systems FUSION vehicle, the two companies are redefining underwater flexibility and providing a blueprint for the future of subsea intervention.
This partnership is more than a simple hardware integration; it is a fundamental reimagining of what “system flexibility” means in the world’s most demanding environments.
Removing people from dangerous environments demands reliability without compromise. We deliver mission-ready systems built to perform under the harshest conditions—so humans don’t have to.
– Jim McFarlane, Executive Vice President, Strategic Robotic Systems
Fusion: a Multi-role Foundation
The Strategic Robotic Systems FUSION is a hybrid underwater vehicle capable of operating as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), or a diver controlled vehicle (DCV). This expeditionary package offers unique versatility. Most subsea robots are purpose-built for a single mode of operation: either as an ROV controlled via a tether or as an AUV following a pre-programmed path. FUSION augments traditional systems with the capabilities of the diver control module, enabling the system to function as a DCV operated by human divers underwater.
Strategic Robotic Systems FUSION provides a platform that is all three. This inherent flexibility allows missions to evolve rapidly. FUSION can be deployed as an AUV to conduct a wide-area search using side-scan sonar. Upon system recovery and review of the collected data, targets of interest can be prioritized. The vehicle can then be switched to ROV mode by connecting the tether, enabling high-resolution inspection or intervention mission. In some operational scenarios, traditional surface-supported ROV operations are too hazardous for personnel, and the DCV mode allows covert intervention.
The FUSION ROV is a modular plug-and-play ROV. (Credit: SRS)
Reach Robotics: Dexterity Meets Autonomy
The Strategic Robotic Systems FUSION provides a robust foundation for diverse missions; Reach Robotics provides the “hands.” Small, portable ROVs were typically limited to visual inspections and interventions because the robotic arms available were either too heavy for the vehicle or lacked the precision to do anything more than basic grasping.
Reach Robotics changed this with their Reach Alpha and Reach X series. These are among the world’s smallest and most dexterous all-electric manipulators. By mounting these systems on the Strategic Robotic Systems FUSION, the collaboration has created a toolkit that can:
• Conduct Complex Intervention: Turning valves, cutting lines, and untangling debris—tasks that previously required massive, multi-million-dollar Work-Class ROVs.
• Maintain Precision: Using up to 7 functions (degrees of freedom), these arms can mimic human movement, allowing operators to work in confined spaces like ship hulls or underwater infrastructure.
System Flexibility: the Power of Modularity
The pillar of the Strategic Robotic Systems and Reach Robotics collaboration is scalability. In subsea robotics, flexibility is often synonymous with modular design. Both companies prioritize a plug-and-play philosophy.
The modularity of the Strategic Robotic Systems and Reach Robotics ecosystem fundamentally transforms subsea operations by prioritizing speed and efficiency. At the core is a vehicle-agnostic design that allows Reach Robotics manipulators to be swapped between platforms in minimal time. The FUSION adaptability extends to diverse subsystems, enabling operators to seamlessly interface with manipulator and sensor packages. Furthermore, the system’s small logistics footprint means a two-person team can deploy the entire integrated setup from a small boat, effectively eliminating the high costs and logistical hurdles of traditional large support vessels.
This modularity ensures the system is never obsolete. As new sensors or tools are developed, they can be integrated into the FUSION/Reach ecosystem without requiring a complete vehicle overhaul.
Redefining Subsea Intervention Work
The traditional divide in subsea robotics was between portable/ inspection vehicles (small but less powerful) and Work-Class vehicles (strong but massive). The partnership between Strategic Robotic Systems and Reach Robotics effectively bridges this gap.
By equipping a portable, hybrid underwater vehicle with the ability to perform highdexterity tasks, humans are removed from “harm’s way.” In naval defense, this means a robot can disarm an underwater mine while the human operator stays at a safe standoff distance. In the offshore energy sector, it means that inspecting a wind turbine foundation, up to 300 meters deep, can be done faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.
“Removing people from dangerous environments demands reliability without compromise. We deliver mission-ready systems built to perform under the harshest conditions—so humans don’t have to,” according to Jim Mc-Farlane, Executive Vice President, Strategic Robotic Systems.
The Future is Autonomous
By tightly integrating Strategic Robotic Systems’ FUSION with Reach Robotics’ manipulators, we are developing systems that move beyond basic remote operations to a highly advanced coupled control architecture.
By focusing on interoperability, modularity, and high-performance miniaturization, we have created a subsea system that is greater than the sum of its parts. For the subsea industry, the future of operations is not just about going deeper; it’s about being smarter, more flexible, and more capable at any depth. srsfusion.com reachrobotics.com
