AGISTAR has unveiled its latest innovation in unmanned maritime technology: the BX-USV II, a highly adaptable and easily deployable unmanned surface vessel (USV).
Engineered with a focus on modularity and portability, the BX-USV II empowers researchers and industry professionals to conduct environmental monitoring, hydrographic surveying, and critical infrastructure inspections with greater efficiency and ease.
At the heart of the BX-USV II lies a sophisticated integration of autonomous navigation systems, efficient underwater propulsion, and a highly flexible framework for incorporating diverse sensor payloads. This versatility is encapsulated within a compact platform constructed from advanced materials.
The vessel boasts an enhanced flame-retardant, environmentally conscious, and anti-collision composite hull, contributing to its remarkably light weight of approximately 5kg. Complementing this design are dual inflatable side floats, which, when deflated, render the entire system exceptionally portable. This ingenious feature allows for effortless transportation by vehicle and straightforward deployment from the shoreline by a single operator, significantly reducing logistical complexities.
Once assembled and the floats inflated, the BX-USV II measures 1600mm in length, 1200mm in width, and 400mm in height. Despite its compact form factor, the USV offers a substantial standard load capacity of 50kg, enabling the deployment of a wide array of scientific instruments and inspection equipment.
The platform is engineered to maintain stable and reliable performance across a multitude of mission profiles, including detailed bathymetric mapping, precise water sampling, thorough sediment analysis, and high-resolution sonar-based structural inspections.
A key advantage of the BX-USV II is its remarkably shallow draft, ranging from a mere 3 to 8cm. This characteristic allows for dependable operation in minimum working depths of only 0.2 meters, opening up possibilities for data acquisition and inspection in previously inaccessible shallow, confined, or low-clearance aquatic environments.
Powering the BX-USV II is a choice of energy configurations:
- The standard setup includes dual 12Ah lithium batteries, providing a cruising endurance of up to 7 hours at a speed of 2 m/s.
- For missions demanding extended operational periods, an optional 40Ah battery pack is available.
The USV also offers an energy-efficient cruising speed of 1.5 m/s and can achieve a maximum speed of 4 m/s when required. Furthermore, the BX-USV II features autonomous fixed-point positioning capabilities, crucial for maintaining station during specific data collection or inspection tasks.
