Nauticus completes Aquanaut Mark 2 qualification, begins commercial operations

Nauticus Robotics announced completion of qualification testing of its flagship underwater vehicle, Aquanaut Mark 2. The Aquanaut used for testing, Vehicle 2, is now performing commercial inspection work at a production field in the Gulf of Mexico. This transition from qualification to commercial operations marks a major milestone for the company. Nauticus’ Autonomous Solutions team completed the qualification testing at a decommissioned field off the coast of Louisiana. All testing was performed autonomously without need of a tether. Vehicle capabilities now certified are flyover surveys, leak detection, obstacle avoidance, and visual inspections. The team also verified sending mission updates mid-execution using only acoustic communications. The vehicle accepted and changed the mission as commanded. As part of the missions, Aquanaut sent compressed photos to the surface via acoustic communications, which the operators viewed for subsea asset verification. Following the successful testing and data review, Vehicle 2 transitioned to full-scale commercial operations at a nearby production field in approximately 1,000 meters of water.