Advanced Navigation’s new subsea centre boosts underwater technology production
Advanced Navigation recently announced the opening of the largest subsea robotics facility in Australia, located in Balcatta, Western Australia (WA). This modern manufacturing and R&D facility aims to accelerate the production of the company’s revolutionary underwater technologies, such as its autonomous underwater robot, Hydrus.
Spanning a massive 2.2-hectare site, the subsea centre is divided into development and manufacturing sections for high-volume production and ongoing research and expansion of subsea navigation and robotics technologies. This expansion also encompasses the growth of the company’s underwater artificial intelligence division.
Advanced Navigation takes pride in its independent, in-house design and vertical integration, which have led to numerous innovations, including the miniaturization of pressure-tolerant electronics, advanced sonar technologies and AI-based autonomous systems. The new facility also features comprehensive testing facilities with multiple marine simulation environments, ensuring reliable performance and high-quality production.
Increasing demand for high-grade underwater data
“Now more than ever, there is a need to explore the Earth’s oceans and make data and knowledge more accessible to global communities, research institutions and governments. Western Australia has always been an exploration hub for ocean discoveries,” stated Xavier Orr, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation. “The new subsea centre will enable us to meet the increasing demand for high-grade underwater data and bring new and existing solutions to market more quickly and efficiently. With the goal of expanding our subsea team threefold, we are confident that this investment will deepen and advance our understanding of the oceans,” he added.
Advanced Navigation’s groundbreaking underwater navigation and robotic technologies find applications across the blue economy, supporting research, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, transportation, surveillance, biotechnology and high-tech services.
The company’s latest creation, the autonomous underwater robot Hydrus, continues to revolutionize undersea research, survey and exploration by simplifying data capture and making it more accessible. The Hydrus design integrates cutting-edge navigational, sonar, propulsion and data capture technologies with highly developed artificial neural network (ANN) intelligence.
Mapping reef structures
With support from prominent research institutions such as the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and philanthropic organization Minderoo, Advanced Navigation strives to develop sustainable technologies that foster the growth of the blue economy on a national and international scale.
“It’s exciting to witness Advanced Navigation expanding its team of engineers in Western Australia. At UWA, we are conducting research on how natural and artificial reef structures can protect coastlines by dissipating wave energy, and Hydrus is a key tool in mapping and surveying these underwater structures. This technology allows us to make more efficient use of our resources and significantly enhances our ability to collect high-resolution data,” explained Justin Geldard, coastal and ocean researcher at the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute.
The subsea centre represents one of several investments made by Advanced Navigation as it continues to expand its global reach and capabilities. The company has established headquarters in Sydney, with research centres located throughout Australia, including Brisbane for aerial drone technology, Canberra for photonic and laser technology and Newcastle for quantum sensing.
In addition to its innovative autonomous subsea robotics, Advanced Navigation also delivers AI-enhanced navigation technologies for land, sea, air and space applications. The company remains committed to developing groundbreaking products and systems that will be catalysts for the autonomy revolution.
