Advanced Navigation Hydrus

Hydrus is a 7.1 kg hovering autonomous underwater vehicle designed to make subsea data collection deployable without a large launch system. Its six-degree-of-freedom propulsion, DVL, INS and acoustic positioning stack support precise low-speed flight around reefs, wrecks and infrastructure. The vehicle is rated to 300 m, with a 1.5 km mission range, two-hour endurance, 1.5-knot speed and an integrated 4K/60 fps camera with 5,000-lumen lighting.

Advanced Navigation pairs the vehicle with a browser-based mission planner and georeferences imagery for photogrammetry and inspection workflows. Acoustic and optical modems support underwater communications and data transfer, while onboard perception is used for obstacle detection and collision avoidance. The platform is commercially offered for habitat monitoring, seabed mapping, infrastructure inspection, search and research. A 2024 Rottnest shipwreck survey provides field evidence beyond intended-use copy: two Hydrus units completed three missions and supplied imagery used for a detailed 3D reconstruction.