Sea Machines Unveils SELKIE Uncrewed Surface Vessel
Marine technology company Sea Machines Robotics has unveiled a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) geared for industries ranging from hydrographic surveying, offshore asset inspection, and persistent on water operations such as security and environmental studies.
The first model, SELKIE 7, is a 7-meter USV built on a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) hull and powered by the company's flagship SM300 Autonomous Command and Control system, unlocking autonomous capabilities for any task-driven workboat fleet operator wanting to enhance and optimize their routine or persistent long duration on-water work.
The vessel, which can readily switch between autonomous unmanned or manned manual piloting, is powered by a 12V battery with a capacity of 4.7 kWh, receiving 1.5 kWh from the engine alternator and 3.2 kWh from an auxiliary diesel generator. It offers a range of up to 500 nautical miles and an endurance of up to 15 days, the manufacturer said.
Equipped with built-in cargo storage, equivalent to 2 x 1.3 meters (two Euro Pallets), SELKIE is suited for long range logistics, according to Boston-based Sea Machines said, which noted the USV also features remotely controllable deck hatches for deploying payloads at sea like inspection or surveillance uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) at sea.
Sea Machines describes the vessel as "survey ready", built with an under-keel sonar mount, CTD winch, and ample power and space to mount customer hardware.
"She’s finally here. With 9 years of autonomous development and on water use behind SELKIE, our overarching goal is to give customers, the world’s fleet operators, products that enable them to capture new and substantial value from their work", exclaimed Michael G. Johnson, Founder and CEO of Sea Machines. "With SELKIE, commercial operators, researchers and security agencies can go further, do more, do it better, with less costly or restrictive effort.”
The USV is available for both purchase and charter from this summer. Sea Machines said it plans to roll out other SELKIE models, including a SELKIE 9, as well as fully electric and gasoline versions.