Blue Armada Robotics, a pioneering Polish marine data company recognized among European Leaders of Offshore Renewable Energy by ELBE Alliance, has announced a significant partnership with UK-based uncrewed surface vessel (USV) producer HydroSurv.
As part of this collaboration, Blue Armada has acquired its first USV, a REAV-60, marking a strategic move to capture the uncrewed marine data collection market in the Baltic Sea, with further aims to address emerging opportunities through international expansion and the ELBE strategic cluster network for North America and Asia.
The decision to select the REAV-60 came after an impressive demonstration at Ocean Business in 2023. Michal Latacz, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Armada Robotics, shared his experience: “I attended Ocean Business to find a proper USV that would suit our specific requirements, but after leaving the exhibitor’s hall without seeing exactly what I was after, I saw a REAV-60 on the water, owned and operated by a third party. I had to play cat and mouse to find out who actually built it. Fortunately, it led me to David Hull, CEO of HydroSurv, and their approach to constructing sea machines, and in particular the REAV-60 platform, fits very well into the long-term strategy of Blue Armada Robotics’ service development and technological integration plan.”
HydroSurv’s REAV-60 boasts a six-meter length and multi-day endurance with a battery hybrid powertrain. Its payload allows for a diverse range of onboard equipment, including inspection-class ROV systems. Blue Armada has fittingly named their first REAV-60 Arctos 1, Latin for ‘Bear.’ Latacz described it as “Strong, resilient, and reliable—our bears of the sea.”
David Hull, Founder & CEO of HydroSurv, expressed his excitement about the partnership: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Michal Latacz and Blue Armada Robotics as they leverage the full potential of the REAV-60. Blue Armada’s ambitious deployment strategy is truly impressive, and our channel partnership underscores our shared commitment to providing remote-operation solutions for sustainable data collection in the offshore energy sectors.”
This particular USV is just the beginning of the Blue Armada Robotics fleet. The company aims to acquire several more USVs from HydroSurv in the next year. These acquisitions are set to revolutionize the remote inspection of offshore wind farms in Poland. Additionally, the REAV-60 will showcase Blue Armada’s capabilities to conduct a range of services, including pre-and post-construction surveys (MBES, SSS, SBP, UXO), cyclic and on-demand asset supervision with Balance-of-Plant integrity checks including but not limited to, foundations, monopiles, jackets, inter-array, and export cables.
Latacz emphasized the broader vision for Blue Armada Robotics: “As an uncrewed fleet operator, we aspire to procure and sell data as a service (DaaS), enabling the digital twinning and longer service life of assets at sea. To achieve this, we develop our own proprietary technologies, and we are collaborating with the best technology producers in the market, creating an ecosystem of the very best in marine robotics.”
The Arctos 1 will enable real-time data transmission, including from multi-beam sonars and close-to-object imagery, directly to asset-owning clients and Tier 1 suppliers both domestically and internationally. Delivery of the REAV-60 is scheduled for July 2024, with demonstrations in the Baltic planned for later this year. This partnership marks a significant step forward in marine robotics and data services in the Baltic, promising enhanced efficiency and sustainability for the offshore industry and beyond.
