Tender: Procurement of Person‑Portable Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) for Marine Science Teaching and Research

About

The School of Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences (PACES) is seeking a supplier for a modern person-portable uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) to support teaching, research and innovation in marine science, hydrographic surveying and marine robotics. The platform must be modular, transportable by a small team without specialist lifting equipment, fit within the rear of a standard SUV or pickup and be under 2.5 metres overall length to enable operation within the exemptions outlined in MGN 702(M) Amendment 1. It must provide a minimum seven hours operational endurance on a single battery charge (hot-swappable battery carriages highly desired), be low-maintenance, produce zero direct emissions, generate minimal underwater and airborne noise, and avoid pollution. The system should support remote and teleconnected operation, creation and execution of pre-programmed navigation tracks with real-time editing of survey parameters and data acquisition, include situational awareness and collision avoidance, and be compatible (very highly desirable/near-essential) with the University's existing NORBIT multibeam sonar; easy, low-cost add/remove sensor compatibility and an autocast sound-velocity profiler winch are also desirable. The USV must be suitable for deployment in coastal waters, ports, harbours, estuaries, inland waters and sheltered bays to expand field teaching and research while reducing reliance on crewed vessels.