ABS has awarded classification to the Saildrone Surveyor, a groundbreaking 20-meter fully autonomous unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for deepwater operations. This vessel represents the largest class of USVs from Saildrone, a company specializing in maritime security, ocean mapping, and meteorological data collection through autonomous technology.
Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating that it reflects ABS’s commitment to innovation and safety. Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, noted that the ABS certification signals to governments and the maritime industry that their USVs are safe, tested, and ready for scaling. He highlighted the extensive investment and effort involved in obtaining this certification.
The 20-meter Surveyor is equipped for long-endurance missions, capable of deep-ocean bathymetry and various maritime domain awareness tasks. This milestone follows the earlier certification of the smaller 10-meter Voyager, designed for coastal surveillance. Saildrone’s USVs operate autonomously and are monitored around the clock by a global Mission Management team.
ABS continues to collaborate with industry and regulatory bodies to advance remote-control and autonomous technologies. For more information, visit their website.
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