Compact AUV Delivers Low-Cost, High-End Survey & Detection Capabilities

French autonomous underwater vehicle manufacturer SEABER has introduced RAVEN, a new compact platform engineered to bring high-end survey and mine countermeasure capabilities to the market at one-third the price of conventional systems.

Weighing 13 kg with a 12 cm diameter and measuring between 131 and 137 cm in length, the vehicle is designed for deployment by a single operator. Despite its portable form factor, the system features a depth rating of 300 meters, operational speeds ranging between 3 and 6 knots, and a maximum mission endurance of eight hours. This operational profile allows the compact vehicle to host sensing and navigation technologies historically reserved for larger and more expensive platforms.

At the core of the platform is LYNX, SEABER’s proprietary optical-based inertial navigation system. When paired with a Doppler velocity log, the system maintains drift below 0.2 percent of distance travelled along straight-line trajectories, with further improvements recorded during standard lawnmower survey patterns. Surface positioning and system initialization are supported by a dual-antenna GNSS receiver equipped with anti-jamming capabilities for contested or GNSS-denied environments, enabling operations across seabed mapping, underwater inspection, scientific research, and defense missions.

The platform carries a side-scan sonar operating at either 600/1200 kHz or 900/1800 kHz and is offered in two distinct mission configurations. The RAVEN SCAN-MAG variant integrates a magnetometer designed to detect and locate submerged metallic targets, including naval mines and shipwrecks. For visual inspection tasks in demanding underwater conditions, the RAVEN SCAN-LUMEN variant combines the side-scan sonar with a high-definition camera and a 24,000-lumen lighting system.

Subsurface tracking and command execution are managed through an acoustic modem, allowing operators to send instructions at ranges up to two to three kilometers and monitor the vehicle in real time via SEABER’s SEAPLAN software. At the surface, connectivity transitions to a UHF radio with a five-kilometer range and an Iridium satellite link, while infrared LEDs visible exclusively through night-vision equipment facilitate discreet location and recovery.

Having previously worked to democratize micro-AUV technology with its YUCO line, SEABER is applying the same economic model to the compact AUV sector to support wider accessibility and larger-scale deployments.

“With RAVEN®, our ambition is simple: to deliver the performance of the best conventional AUVs at one-third of their price. Thanks to our LYNX® navigation technology and the integration of advanced inspection and detection capabilities, we believe RAVEN has the potential to fundamentally change the rules of the market,” said Vidal TEIXEIRA, President of SEABER.