Uncrewed Systems Technology 048 | Kodiak Driver | 5G focus | Tiburon USV | Skypersonic Skycopter and Skyrover | CES 2023 | Limbach L 2400 DX and L 550 EFG | NXInnovation NX 100 Enviro | Solar power focus | Protegimus Protection

56 “Also, for users without much programming ability but who nonetheless want a detailed and easy-to-use interface with lots of features, we feel Honeywell will cater better for that market,” Enriquez says. “We’re in discussions with Honeywell, and they’re taking an active interest in configuring their small UAS navigation technologies for our use case, as we’re set to be the first company to use their systems in an uncrewed marine vehicle.” To date, SWL has already integrated Honeywell’s industrial computer and junction box into the Tiburon, effectively as a switchboard for control and comms with onboard sensors, so it makes sense to adopt further Honeywell systems for a more streamlined integration between the autopilot, junction box, satcom and fuel cell controller. “A core goal was always to produce a system that made effective use of two onboard computers, so less like a hobby drone and more like an industrial-grade system. Make no mistake though, the Cube Orange is still a great autopilot for us at SWL, and it’s been key to the testing, development and debugging of the Tiburon,” Enriquez says. “So, naturally, any of our USV customers familiar with the Cubepilot ecosystem and capable of the programming needed to configure it will be more than welcome to request a Tiburon that runs on Cube Orange, and we’ll be happy to continue supplying that.” Survey philosophy While various types of sensor can be installed in the Tiburon’s transom, the most common ones are the Teledyne BlueViewMB1350multi-beamprofiler, Teledyne RDI’sWayfinder and Pathfinder DVLs, and any Teledyne FLIR sidescan sonars, particularly fish finders for fish farm surveys. Naturally, others such as water quality sensor sondes have also been used. Although the Tiburonwill be used in a wide range of open sea environments once deployed as a ‘child’ system to the FR-10 mothership, SWL does not envision it being used as a standalone systemoutside any waters of more than 30 ft (9.14m) depth. “Our niche with the Tiburon when operating solo lies in surveys of lakes, confined areas, canals, swamps and shores,” Enriquez explains. “In the long term, we expect to carry, deploy and recover maybe three Tiburons fromone FR-10, alongwith a quadcopter and ROV, with themothership and quadrotor working as comms relay systems for themesh network of uncrewed systems and partiesmonitoring the mission. We don’t envision the FR-10 being equippedwith survey sensors, although it easily could be if end-users ask for that.” Data links and remote systems SWL’s vision of amesh network, enabling group coordination or potentially swarm behaviours in navigation and survey, has been supported by its work with Domo Tactical Communications (DTC). In principle, the lowweight and size inherent in DTC’s software-defined radios for small UASs was a significant draw to Enriquez and his team, as was their low power draw. “The other part was the extensive support from them,” he says. “I’ve been given direct lines to their engineers and their vice-president, and all that has really facilitated our integration and use of their radios. I have to say their support has been better than any company I’ve ever worked with. “Being bought by Codan [a comms systems supplier in Australia] was also a major factor for us. I feel that Australia is making the biggest technological moves for the uncrewed space right now, and with DTC’s encouragement and support of our r&d I expect the country to be a big market for the Tiburon and our other vehicles in the future.” February/March 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology DTC is providing radios and technical support for SWL’s mesh network r&d, and could one day help achieve Microsoft HoloLens functionality for the data from SWL’s USVs In the long termwe expect to carry, deploy and recover maybe three Tiburons from one FR-10, with the mothership working as a comms relay