High-tech robotics and autonomous navigation firm Exail is building on its success with its USVs with another sale, this time to an unnamed ‘global hydrographic authority’.
The French company’s latest version of its DriX Uncrewed Surface Vessels, the DriX H-9, can last for 20 days at sea with increased payload capacity and greater flexibility, Exail head of Maritime Autonomy Sébastien Grall said.
The 9-metre DriX H-9 has a range of 2,000 nautical miles, a fuel capacity of 550 litres and a ROTV (Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle) depth of 3,000 miles.
“This milestone marks the successful expansion of Exail’s portfolio of autonomous solutions for both commercial and defence markets, reinforcing its position as a key player in the rapidly growing USV sector,” Grall said.
But the H-9 is tiny compared with its sister USV, the DriX-0-16 transoceanic USV, which can endure 30 days at sea over 3.500 nautical miles with 2,300 litres of fuel.
Exail’s USVs carry multiple sensors, including side-scan sonars, magnetometers, multi-beam echo sounders and sub-bottom profilers, with launch and recovery systems that allow then to carry ROVs to take on seabed mapping and infrastructure inspections.
“Like the DriX H-8, the H-9 features a gondola architecture optimized for hydroacoustic sensors, ensuring high-quality, stable data collection,” says Grall. “A common architecture framework across the DriX Series further simplifies fleet integration, enabling shared spares and streamlined maintenance.”
