RoboticsDARPA sponsors development of deep-sea surveillance robot
New Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) to address Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) surveillance needs over large, operationally demanding areas
One of Bluefin Robotics autonomous undersea surveillance robots // Source: militaryaerospace.com
Quincy, Massachusetts-based Bluefin Robotics, a designer and maker of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), has been awarded a Phase II subcontract from Groton, Connecticut-based Applied Physical Sciences Corp. (APS) for the Deep Sea Operations (DSOP) Technology and System Development Program sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The company says it will assist in developing systems of configurable technology to address Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) surveillance needs over large, operationally relevant areas. The system(s) will operate with sensors or sources near the ocean bottom; exploit the advantages of distributed nodes; configured to a range of operations, environments and time scales; and adapt to the mobility of surface assets or evolving threats. Additionally, the program will provide the ability to achieve long-range detection and classification, the means to communicate underwater over long distances, and the ability to manage energy to endure in the extreme operating conditions of the deep ocean.
The APS DSOP Team consists of Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Bluefin Robotics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, H. Schmidt Consulting, Scientific Systems Company, Inc., and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.
The prime contract awarded to APS was competitively procured through the DARPA Announcement, number 11-24, published via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 16 offers received.
