Saildrone has successfully integrated and operated a sub-bottom profiler (SBP) on its Voyager unmanned surface vehicle (USV), adding seabed imaging capability to the autonomous ocean exploration platform. The system was first deployed in the Baltic Sea to support the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) in monitoring critical infrastructure and surveying the seabed.
Key takeaways
- The Innomar Medium USV SBP is a parametric, high-resolution system that acquires full-waveform acoustic data to reveal seafloor and sub-seafloor structure, layering, and composition.
- The Voyager can operate the SBP in water depths up to 250 meters and penetrate the seafloor up to 70 meters, depending on sediment type.
- Applications include mapping sediment layers, identifying geological structures, detecting buried utilities like pipelines and cables, and supporting offshore wind turbine construction.
- Four Voyager USVs have been operating in the Baltic Sea for six months, achieving 92 percent uptime under harsh conditions.
The integration enables persistent, autonomous sub-seafloor surveys for months without human intervention, enhancing maritime awareness and infrastructure protection. Saildrone operates its Baltic missions from its Copenhagen subsidiary, staffed locally to support Northern Europe.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2026-03-09 · “Saildrone adds seabed imaging capability to autonomous Voyager ocean drones”