Cellula Robotics has announced that it is six months into a contract with Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS) to develop the next generation of fuel cell powered, Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV).
Funded by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and in collaboration with sovereign sub-contractors, project SeaWolf is set to debut the first 12 meter by 1.7 meter XLUUV hull in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Building on Cellula’s existing Solus-LR system and using the proven Solus control architecture and software, the SeaWolf project includes a mission range of over 5,000 kms powered by a state-of-the-art fuel cell power system and two modular 2,500-liter flooded payload bays. SeaWolf can be shipped in a single 40′ ISO container. Ron Allum has been sub-contracted by Cellula to implement a robust thruster and battery system.
“Cellula is excited to take the DRDC funded Solus-LR project to the next level of capability with TAS and RAN,” said Adrian Woodroffe, Business Development Manager at Cellula. “Our fuel cell power system is the key enabler that gives SeaWolf a game changing submerged range and payload capacity.”
“TAS are excited to see the progress on the SeaWolf project across engineering, manufacturing, regulatory, control, propulsion and other supporting technologies and concepts,” said CEO of TAS, Professor Jason Scholz. “The novel technologies and demonstrated capabilities at Cellula Robotics made them a partner of choice; and plans underway to establish an Australian Cellula entity will bring them closer to the sovereign enterprises in Australia already working on delivering our concept of an underwater loyal-wingman to the Royal Australian Navy.”
While headquarters for Cellula are based in Burnaby, British Columbia, the company is in its final stages of establishing an Australian office in Brisbane to further the next stages of this project, including Australian-based design and manufacturing.
Demonstration missions with Solus-LR and the prototype SeaWolf XLUUV will take place in the first quarter of 2023 in Australia.
