MBARI elevates AUV fleet with Exail Phins Compact C7 INS

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), a renowned leader in oceanographic research, has selected the Exail Phins Compact C7 inertial navigation system (INS) to enhance its deepwater autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) fleet.

Powered by advanced fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG) technology, the Phins Compact C7 INS was chosen for its capability to deliver survey-grade navigation at depths reaching 6,000 metres. Its compact OEM design ensures smooth integration with MBARI’s AUVs, while its compatibility with supplementary navigation tools boosts accuracy, perfectly aligning with MBARI’s rigorous operational standards.

“MBARI’s advanced underwater vehicles gather important data about our changing ocean. Our seafloor mapping operations required a navigation system that could provide state-of-the-art precision and reliability in extreme conditions,” said Erik Trauschke, autonomous systems operations manager at MBARI. “Its ability to integrate with a Teledyne RDI Doppler velocity log (DVL) offers us added flexibility, allowing for a customized INS-DVL configuration.”

“We are delighted that MBARI has chosen our Phins Compact C7 INS for their deepwater AUV fleet,” said Shayan Haque, business development manager at Exail. “It has been a true collaborative effort with everyone involved at MBARI. We are excited to see our systems contributing to their ongoing exploration and research efforts.”

The acquisition of Exail’s systems came after a significant period of collaboration between MBARI and the Exail support team, who worked closely to develop a customized solution tailored to MBARI’s AUVs and the specific requirements of their deep-sea missions.

“The technical exchange with Erik Trauschke and his team was extremely thorough, and we were aligned from day one. We provided a loaner unit for MBARI to assess the system’s performance and assisted in designing their customized mounting bracket. This close collaboration highlights our commitment and ability to support our clients in developing bespoke solutions for their specific needs,” said Patrick Lieffering, support operations manager for the Americas at Exail.