RTsys is now recognized as a true industry
leader in the design and manufacture of person-portable autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for seabed monitoring and oceanographic surveys up to 300 m depth. The COMET-300 AUV is one of the chief protagonists in our portfolio.
A GAME-CHANGING TOOL
The COMET-300 is the most affordable operational AUV on the market, offering real-time positioning and a live acoustic communication system. Designed specifically to meet the broadening needs of marine research, defense, and commercial operators, the COMET300 can operate as a standalone unit or as part of a network. In fact, the COMET-300 was the very first AUV to operate in a swarm format, and it has been successful for more than 10 years.
Able to operate at depths down to 300 m, unimpeded by subsea currents thanks to the AUV’s high-speed capabilities of over 10 knots, COMET-300 is the ideal solution for extensive marine survey campaigns for offshore development, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and anti-mine warfare.
In addition to its wide range of standard payloads (SSS, OAS, magnetometer, HD TV camera and lights, CTD, and any other multiparameter probes), the COMET-300 is celebrated for its embedded acoustic communication and repositioning capabilities at sea.
Mission planning is executed via a single programming and post-processing module, which is both light and ruggedized and so affords operators greater flexibility in terms of portability and rapid deployment, anywhere in the world.
A Surface Communication Module coupled to a waterproof touch pad ensures real-time monitoring of the mission (including live tracking underwater up to 2 km as standard). Again, such product enhancements are underpinned by the same design philosophy of optimizing user-friendly portability and operational robustness.
SUPERIOR POSITIONING ACCURACY
The positioning accuracy of the COMET-300 AUV is of paramount concern during any type of mission, and that is why RTsys developed its very own unique underwater acoustic protocol called RACAM®: Repositioning And Communication Acoustic Module.
RACAM is a lightweight and compact acoustic modem natively installed on every RTsys device. It enables a covering distance through Sparse-LBL over 2 km point to point and up to 5 km with a relay beacon (underwater or surface buoy). Its discrete application with low acoustic level provides real-time information relating to equipment status, such as the AUV’s position, speed, heading, payload, depth, altitude, distance from the Rhib, and more.
In such a compact package, the COMET-300 offers the widest range of subsea capabilities possible, allowing every operator around the world to manage exploration efficiently and responsibly, and without the significant costs associated with larger support vessels.
This spotlight appeared in ON&T Magazine’s 2025 July Special Edition, Uncrewed Vehicles Buyers’ Guide, to read more access the magazine here.
