Award of Merit:

Advanced Navigation for Hydrus

Advanced Navigation is a vibrant, innovative Australian company. Its founders, Xavier Orr and Chris Shaw pioneered development of artificial neural network and artificial intelligence technology into the realm of inertial navigation systems in 2012. Advanced Navigation is committed to testing the boundaries of possibility in science and technology and is at the forefront of design and development in several sectors, including acoustic signalling and robotics. In recognition of being a leading innovations company with an extensive portfolio of technical skill sets and sound design methodology, Advanced Navigation is participating in the NASA Moon to Mars project. 

The company is not only dedicated to technical excellence and innovation but values and takes pride in maintaining an environmentally responsible approach within the global community. This includes offsetting carbon emissions, using carbon-neutral electricity and actively seeking to reduce waste and environmental impact. Not without strategic counsel, impact fund Minderoo Flourishing Oceans and CSIRO’s technology and science fund - Main Sequence are aligned with our ethos to develop socially impactful technology. 

Advanced Navigation actively participates in university and education programs to attract budding engineers and promote self-development and continued learning. The goal is to inspire and attract individuals to join our endeavours in helping Australia be at the forefront of navigation and robotic innovations. 

Hydrus is an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) that has been conceived to assist in the battle against climate change through deepening our understanding of ocean ecosystems. It does this via detailed image capture, three-dimensional environment mapping and data gathering, with the ability to run custom applications for highly specialised research. A major consideration in the design is that of conservation and minimising risk to marine habitats, wildlife and vegetation. 

The design team collaborated with marine scientists and research institutions, including the Minderoo Foundation Flourishing Oceans Initiative and the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute, to formulate a design that would least impact marine environments. 

Hydrus is currently being exhibited at several international maritime technology conferences and is receiving critical acclaim. This is not only for the unique integrations of high-end technologies, but what it represents to the community at large in learning about our ocean ecosystems and actively contributing to ocean remediation and climate change reversal. 

"We’ve developed Hydrus to ensure professional grade underwater imagery and data is accessible to everyone, enabling greater opportunities across the ocean, whether it’s inspecting offshore wind farms, capturing undersea cinematography or monitoring coral reefs." said Xavier Orr, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation.

About the Project

Please refer to product video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3j2T4EJ_Og&t=86s

Category: Use

Designers and Projet Team:
Xavier Orr - Co-CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation
Morgan McDermont - Subsea Hardware Manager
Alex Tennant - Subsea Software Manager