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

96 In operation | NXInnovation NX 100 Enviro the second time around: the first prototype was around 1.4 m long, the second was 1.8 m. It was also fitted with 200 W of solar cells, as an experiment to see how range and power capacity could be improved using PV technology. “The second version was a great device, but we soon discovered it was too unwieldy to meet the simplicity standards we and our prospective customers wanted,” Paula Buckley, co-founder, researcher and product development manager at NXInnovation, says. “It took two people to carry it, and launching was cumbersome without a ramp. “We therefore agreed that bigger was not the right way to go, so we made the final vessel 1 m long so that one person could carry it, and it could more easily steer between any two moored boats for nimbler cleaning.” Although the Covid lockdown put the pursuit of customers and investors on hold, it enabled NXInnovation to focus closely on internal r&d, which led to the final prototype and allowed it to be unveiled publicly in 2020 as the NX 100 Enviro. Systems andmaterials Lee and his team aim to present the Enviro’s niche as autonomy at a low price point. He voices admiration for the Waste Shark as a high-end (but therefore higher priced) solution, and points conversely to the Australian-built Seabin – effectively a ‘smart bin’ in the water running on a 240 V input and sitting in a fixed position over its lifespan – as being an example of what could be the simplest practical solution imaginable. “To clean up a complex area though, you need a solution that can go anywhere in the water, so autonomy and thrust were two key focal points in our engineering,” Buckley explains. The Enviro uses the well-proven T200 electric thrusters from Blue Robotics, two of which are mounted under the pontoon structures to enable the USV’s forward and reverse thrust, as well as differential steering. Control, guidance and some key AI functions are achieved through a Cube Orange autopilot built into the Enviro’s 1 m-long, 0.77 m-wide, 0.46 m-tall body, about which are the standard ancillaries used in Cubepilot’s ecosystem, including Here3 GNSS and Herelink comms. The body itself is built fromfibreglass composite (as per Lee’s boatbuilding experience). “It’s all done in-house,” he says. “Withmy years of building boats, I know how to do hand laminations, and how to buildmoulds for boats up to 70 ft long.” Overall, the systemweighs 16 kg in air, has 10 kg of payload capacity, and 20,000 mAh of lithium-ion battery energy on board. That enables up to 3 hours of endurance between charges or pack swaps, as well as a maximum speed of 3 m/s (10.8 kph). Clean-up preparations Asmentioned, the Enviro can be transported and launched using any motor vehicle and only oneworker. Pre-programming its cleaning routes as GNSSwaypoints is performed through theQGroundControl handheldGCS, as standard in theCubepilot ecosystem, with telemetry coming through theHerelink data link and remote control (if needed) made possible through a Futaba 2.4GHz link. “You can just download a map of the local area, plug in your waypoints and off you go,” Lee says. “It’s very straightforward, even for anyone unfamiliar with uncrewed systems. “The manual steps for preparation and inspection are also simple. The battery installation is quick, as it’s a hot- swappable unit based on RC designs and isolated with a relay, and an on/off safety switch means you can theoretically arrive at your launch spot with the battery already installed.” February/March 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology The litter net induces some drag, but any movements faster than 2 m/s would be counterproductive and potentially unsafe You can just download a map of the local area, plug in your waypoints and off you go. It’s very straightforward, even for anyone who’s unfamiliar with uncrewed systems