Hydroid, Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and the leading manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its founding with a milestone: The company recently delivered its 200th REMUS 100 AUV.
In December 2011, Hydroid delivered its 200th REMUS 100 AUV to the Swedish Navy, which purchased two of the vehicles to support its mine countermeasures program. The Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams now deploy the Hydroid AUVs in confined or shallow waters to find and classify submerged objects, ensuring the safety of Swedish harbors.
In the decade since Hydroid President Christopher von Alt , co-founded the company in 2001, Hydroid has grown to become the industry leader in undersea engineering.
“When I started Hydroid back in 2001 I knew we had a great product, but I could never have predicted the impact our AUVs would have on oceanographic research,” said von Alt . “Scientists and Navies around the world now use REMUS AUVs to protect people from mines and other undetonated ordnances, explore sunken planes and ships, gather undersea data on global climate change and more accurately map oceanographic features for improved maritime safety.”
Von Alt has devoted his career to the advancement of oceanography and undersea robotics. Today, von Alt and his team remain dedicated to consistently improving REMUS technology to perfect the vehicles and their capabilities. Since its inception, Hydroid has grown from a team of 20 employees in 2001 to nearly 100 employees today. Hydroid is enhanced by a growing representative network, which provides local sales and support in nearly 30 nations around the globe.
In June 2008, Hydroid was acquired by Norway-based Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, and is now part of the Kongsberg Maritime AUV Group that offers a full complement of REMUS and HUGIN AUVs for operations in any water depth. The company has aligned the two product lines, providing users with operational synergies and a strengthened technology base. REMUS vehicles are a perfect complement to Kongsberg’s HUGIN AUVs, ensuring end users have a single point of contact for technical support.
Hydroid’s REMUS and Kongsberg’s HUGIN AUVs are modular: They can be fitted with a variety of sensors and used to aid in hydrographic surveys, harbor security operations, debris field mapping, scientific sampling and mapping, pipeline inspection, as well as many basic and applied research programs.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , March 20, 2012; Image: Hydroid