108 The future of uncrewed systems hinges on the future of their regulation. Many anticipate that establishing common rules for design, engineering and maintenance will create a solid platform for producing safe, efficient and competitive autonomous vehicles across countless industries. Great strides are being made for the largest and most advanced oceangoing autonomous vessels, such as the Mayflower (see Issue 42), which crossed the Atlantic fully autonomously in 2022. However, the most recent USV regulations published across Europe and elsewhere only dictate standards for remotely operated boats, so the path to certification remains elusive. As Matthew Ratsey, founder and managing director of UK-headquartered Zero USV (and CEO of Marine AI), says: “I know a lot of commercial USV developers who became frustrated with regulations and as a result either pulled the plug on their operation or moved it away from Britain so they didn’t have to deal with UK regulators.” Ratsey and his colleagues – including Brett Phaneuf, CEO of the Mayflower and of MSubs, who gives significant technical consultation to Zero – were undeterred, however, in their collective ambition to create a mission-agnostic, fully autonomous and certified USV capable of BVLOS industrial applications. “Most players are working under remote control, and doing so close to shore or a mothership. We wanted to offer a costeffective USV, fully capable of over-thehorizon, oceangoing work in scientific, hydrographic, bathymetric and other roles you can name,” Ratsey says. “Our first offering, the Oceanus12, is a roughly 12 m vessel, which keeps its costs manageable and enables it to be shipped from Britain to Australia in a standard, 40 ft container within six weeks, or to the US in two weeks.” The Oceanus12 features a monohull design with a 2.33 m beam and 4 t displacement, a hybrid-electric powertrain enabling a top speed of 10 knots, and Rory Jackson reports on a company set on making great regulatory strides for USVs Metal maritime October/November 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Zero USV’s Oceanus12 is a monohull with a 4 t displacement, a hybrid-electric powertrain, and an aluminium hull and structure key to its certification (Images courtesy of Zero USV)
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