Please select your home edition
Edition
KZRaceFurlers

Bluebottle expands area of operations

by John Bulmer 22 Jul 2020 05:17 UTC
Bob leaving the heads off Botany Bay © John Bulmer

In another step forward in the development of "home-grown" unmanned surveillance vessels (USV's) the Bluebottle now has approval to operate autonomously in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Bluebottle USV was borne out of the initial collaboration between Ocius Technology (formerly Solar Sailor) and Steber International.

Steber General Manager, Alan Steber said: "It's great to see the ongoing development of the Bluebottle project which has growing maritime border security and defence capabilities".

"These latest developments follow on from an 'on-water' display at Lake Burley Griffin in late 2019 with a national and international audience, including military and government regulators and both Robert Dane (Ocius) and myself present.

"The export potential in South East Asia for maritime security and surveillance, at an affordable price, is enormous.

"This all Australian designed and made innovative USV is unique and will grow in demand including in related fields of fisheries patrol, drug and people smuggling detection, hydrographic surveys and much more" Alan said.

Development of the Bluebottle range itself also continues apace with the first next-generation Bluebottle Beth arriving in September.

In the latest sea trial, Bluebottle Bob sailed from Botany Bay to Ulladulla, averaging 3.4 knots over the 96 nautical mile distance.

Bob used 360-degree cameras, radar, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and collision avoidance software to autonomously navigate safely during the voyage. Engineers at the Ocius R&D facility at UNSW Campus Randwick and at Charles Darwin University, Darwin, taking it in turns to be supervisors.

Ocius CEO, Robert Dane said: "Previously we have escorted USVs out to a 50sq nautical mile AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) approved area, 20 nautical miles off Ulladulla, where we could operate autonomously".

"However, we are now approved by AMSA to operate Bob (and brother Bruce) as domestic commercial vessels, which means they are permitted to operate autonomously out to the extent of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone".

Following this successful trial, Bob is heading to Darwin to begin logistics and sea trials.

The delivery of the next-gen. Bluebottle Beth will be followed by four more of the larger model in 2021, each armed with Thales thin line sonar arrays, radar, cameras and other sensors.

Under a new Defence Innovation Hub Contract, Ocius will deploy five Bluebottles in an intelligent networked squad for three different areas of operations in three different roles.

Related Articles

WASZP Games 2025: Talent & fun descend on Weymouth
Poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history The 2025 International WASZP Games, set to take place from July 19–25 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, are poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history. Posted today at 7:23 am
All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around. Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing. Posted on 10 Jul
ORC DH Europeans Short Offshore Race
Strong competition and tough conditions The Long Offshore Race, the most demanding stage of the 2025 Garmin ORC Double-Handed European Championship, is well under way in the Gulf of Finland. Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water. Posted on 10 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
America's Cup: Luna Rossa to sail for Naples club.
Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest the next America's Cup as the team of a Naples club. Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest its seventh America's Cup as the team of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples, as club that is new to the America's Cup. Posted on 10 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 3
Big breeze in the morning, calm in the afternoon The third day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship kicked off early, with the first warning signal for the Blue fleet scheduled for 8:30 AM. Due to strong northerly winds, however, the fleet's departure was postponed to 9:00. Posted on 10 Jul
Introducing the Micro Gateway from Cyclops Marine
Live load data, simplified - smaller, smarter, even more connected At Cyclops Marine, we're driven by the pursuit of precision, performance, and progress. As the marine industry continues to embrace digital transformation, our technology is evolving rapidly. Posted on 10 Jul
Everything to know about The Ocean Race Europe
One month to go to the race start in Kiel One month out from the start of the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe seven mixed-gender crews made up of sailors from across 13 nations are in the throes of their final preparations for the Race start in Kiel, Germany. Posted on 10 Jul
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeV-DRY-XHyde Sails 2024 - One Design