applied acoustics delivers advanced acoustic positioning technologies that support the expanding use of autonomous platforms in military robotics.
From unmanned surface vessels to subsea assets, the company’s systems are engineered to meet the growing operational demands of modern maritime defense environments.
To safeguard naval forces from potential threats, maritime defense authorities are increasingly deploying uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater robotics.
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) play key roles in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and mine countermeasure (MCM) tasks.
Although these platforms are equipped to perform defined mission objectives such as detecting and addressing underwater hazards, their success depends on external subsystems that provide location awareness, precision tracking, and directional control.
USBL Tracking Systems
When navigating an AUV or ROV toward a known target and tracking its movement during operations, an Ultra Short Baseline (USBL) tracking system offers a straightforward and effective solution for determining and recording the vehicle’s course.
Target coordinates are uploaded into the USBL’s control interface, allowing operators to follow the vehicle’s trajectory and make adjustments as needed. Without such a system, vehicle locations would remain undetermined, leaving operators without critical situational awareness.
applied acoustics has delivered USBL systems for a wide range of defense missions, with a strong emphasis on MCM. More than 250 of these systems have been supplied to the defense sector, ranging from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems to custom OEM configurations using the company’s proprietary acoustic designs, tailored to meet the unique specifications of military users and defense contractors.
Whether the need is for compact units supporting mobile teams on small boats, fixed systems installed on naval platforms, or versions deployed from airborne platforms, applied acoustics brings specialized knowledge in subsea acoustics to defense operations where accuracy and dependability are essential.
Photo by Kraken Robotics
Autonomous Surface Vessels
A significant advancement in maritime defense is the increasing use of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) as deployment platforms for subsea robotics. ASVs reduce personnel exposure to danger and introduce new operational requirements for autonomous deployment procedures.
Although AUVs and ROVs still require positional tracking, this no longer always occurs from a nearby support ship. Instead, operators may be based remotely, potentially hundreds of miles from the mission area. The combination of underwater acoustic communication with satellite data transmission allows these remote operators to maintain control and oversight while staying distant from active zones.
An OEM variant of applied acoustics’ Nexus 2 USBL system is a key component in these missions, autonomously delivering dependable subsea positioning and transmitting the resulting data via radio modem to remote control centers.
Positioning Beacons
While shipboard USBL systems are essential to these operations, they depend on the integration of a compatible acoustic transducer within each vehicle to function effectively. As a core element of these systems, applied acoustics offers a broad selection of transducers designed for direct integration with AUVs and ROVs, enabling reliable communication between the subsea unit and its control point.
Some models can be adapted as standalone transponders with battery power, but applied acoustics has long collaborated with vehicle manufacturers to design fully integrated solutions during the production stage, resulting in cohesive and efficient systems.
Advanced Military Systems
In a defense sector where technology requirements evolve rapidly, applied acoustics continues to provide innovative acoustic systems designed for complex mission profiles. The company maintains longstanding relationships across the global maritime security domain, supplying reliable solutions that support the continued advancement of autonomous military operations.
