Unmanned boats in the spotlight

ASV, a company that designs, builds and operates autonomous surface vehicles, put its new C-Worker 5 vehicle on display at Oceanology International exhibition and conference, in London on March 15.

The business, in Southampton Road, has recently completed the construction of four C-Worker 5 vehicles – an autonomous surface vehicle that will be used to map the seabed.

Sarah Dyer, sales and marketing coordinator, said: ‘We had a really big exhibition stand right in the middle of the hall. We were the biggest vehicle there.

‘It really had a wow factor. It got an awful lot of attention and we got lots of leads from the show as it was really well received.’

The 5m-long C-Worker 5 can operate at seven knots for five days before refuelling. They will be added to ASV’s global lease pool in the second quarter of 2016.

Thomas Chance, ASV’s chairman, said: ‘The C-Worker 5 is an exciting new ASV that will dramatically help our clients’ bottom line.’

ASV is now a world leader in autonomous marine technology. It was startetd in 2010 by two Southampton university graduates – Dan Hook and Richard Daltry.

Since then it has grown from the original team of two to employing more than 70 members of staff.

It has produced more than 75 vehicles and has converted numerous existing vessels to operate autonomously.

It has offices in the UK and US, and has commercial, scientific, and military clients across the globe, including developing, in partnership with BAE Systems, a hi-tech driverless ‘drone’ boat to be used on the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers.