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Nemo

A novel prototype joins the museum’s collection

The acquisition of contemporary marine science technologies is a key collection area for the museum, and the state-of-the-art uncrewed surface vessel, Nemo, has joined our fleet. Emily Jateff explains the technology of this amazing vessel.

Bob and Bruce. Image courtesy Robert Dane, Ocius Technology

The future of marine surveillance and oceanic mapping is autonomous

THE AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED and developed Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) use rigid opening sails and hybrid marine power – wind, wave and solar – to carry out operations in the areas of oceanography, defence and security, hydrography, and oil and gas surveillance. They are self-deployable and retrievable, self-propelled, low cost, adaptable to extreme weather, and have an ability to roam widely for days or months. The museum recently acquired four scale test models and the Bluebottle prototype USV Nemo. A result of collaboration between Ocius Technology, the University of Wollongong and Steber International, Nemo is a three-metre ‘proof of concept’ vessel. It was intended to test the combination of solar, wave and wind power generation, gearing of sail, networking capabilities, and to ensure the propulsion system worked as projected. Nemo is steered by a bow-mounted rudder flipper. The propeller is housed in a ‘wet’ compartment inside the keel, while three internal ‘dry’ compartments hold the 4G antenna, Iridium antenna and GPS antenna, as well as any payload (up to 600 kg). Mounted on the aft mast are a 360-degree above-water-view camera, Airmar unit and 900 mHz antenna. In the forward bow section are the gears for the front flipper and a motor control for the solar sail. In 2018–19, Ocius Technology partnered with Thales Australia to demonstrate a ‘proof of concept’ autonomous anti-submarine warfare surveillance system. Ocius has now launched the next fleet of Bluebottles – Bonnie, Bluey, Birizo and Beacon – and these will join the current vessel Beth. On a 2021 Defence Innovation Hub contract, Beth was the first of 6.8 metre concept models deployed in an intelligent networked squad to three different ‘areas of operations’ in waters off Darwin. The Bluebottles are capable of autonomous deployment for a number of oceanographic and naval applications. The primary role of the technology at this stage has been to field-test their use for autonomous marine surveillance. The use of autonomous technologies like the Bluebottle series increases defence capabilities for offshore marine operations, significantly cutting the cost of vessel and personnel deployment for offshore tasks. For example, the Bluebottles can be deployed to patrol or map areas of interest and report back on any concerns in real time. The Ocius drone is representative of a shift in ocean technology, moving towards safer and more sustainable alternatives to explore, monitor and quantify ocean environments. The advantages for scientific research and maritime industries are that they allow greater safety for staff and higher output and coverage, which can now include environments unsuitable for humans or too costly to support traditional vessels for sustained at-sea work. The future of marine surveillance and oceanic mapping is that it will be autonomous, and the Bluebottles are a vital step for Australia towards meeting our increasing needs to manage, surveil and protect our marine estate. The Bluebottle prototype USV Nemo is now on display in the exhibition One Ocean – Our Future.