There are two types:

1. Conventional powered vessels which are unmanned. They have limited time and range at sea and are acoustically noisy.
2. Renewable energy powered vessels which are unmanned. They use solar and/or wind and/or wave energy so are persistent and can stay at sea indefinitely only limited by biofouling. Bluebottles are in this category.

Bluebottle USVs are the new 'Satellites Of the Sea'.

Bluebottle USVs are autonomous data gathering & communications platforms being like 'satellites of the sea'. They offer multiple economic and operational advantages over conventional methods of ocean surveillance such as:

• Continuous coverage
• Wide coverage
• Greatly reduced capital costs
• Greatly reduced operational costs - no fuel, food or crew
• Elimination of errors due to human fatigue
• No people or expensive assets in harm's way

Other persistent USVs carry only small payloads, have low power for the payload and often have low performance to manoeuvre, avoid collisions and 'make way' out of currents.

Bluebottles harvest all the weather on the ocean; the sun, the wind and the waves so they can advance under all conditions and can remain at sea for months at a time. 

Bluebottles have more power, payload and performance in the one USV than any known persistent USV.

Applications for USVs are myriad and measured in the billions of dollars. Major entities in offshore energy, defence and science are investing heavily in unmanned systems for “dull, dirty or dangerous” operations. Independent industry research estimates the USV market for defence alone to be a staggering US$3.8Bn by 2020.

Bluebottle USVs have greater power, payload and performance compared to known competitors and are able to navigate freely and indefinitely across the world’s oceans. Already Ocius is working with two major private-sector partners to develop USVs capable of undertaking specific high value applications in hydrography and defence.

The team at Ocius are focusing all of our experience, networks and love of the sea to create a revolutionary Australian technology for the world’s oceans.

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