Ann: FY2018 Huon Results Media Release, page-12

A TASMANIAN-BASED salmon farming firm has boosted investment in a Hampshire underwater robotic technology company.
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Huon Aquaculture has doubled its fleet of Saab Seaeye Falcons to four vehicles.
The two new Falcons will join the fleet to inspect nets, rigging and moorings at Huon’s aquaculture pens. The pens are positioned in areas of strong current and rough water favoured for salmon farming as it mimics their natural habitat.
Designed for such strong currents and turbulent waters, the Falcon can remain steady under robust conditions whilst undertaking delicate or rugged tasks and manoeuvre with precision as needed.
Saab Seaeye is the world’s largest manufacturer of e-robotic underwater systems and has its head office in Segensworth.
Earlier this year the firm announced it is is further expanding its operations to a create a new £35m marine engineering hub. The 75 new jobs include a number of apprentice, graduate and experienced engineering and manufacturing roles in addition to the 147 already employed locally.
Among their achievements include developing designs for the Flying Fish, a flying submarine which could revolutionise underwater warfare and the Falcon in 2015 a remote controlled underwater vehicle.
The Falcon’s iCON behaviour-based intelligent control architecture offers precise positioning and active station-keeping to let the operator concentrate on the task in hand.
With over 24,000 tonnes of fresh salmon farmed a year, Huon appreciates the Falcon’s proven reliability for working tirelessly at the pens for thousands of hours.
The vehicle’s intelligent control system allows for a wide range of equipment to be easily added and changed for many different tasks.
By adopting the Falcon concept, Huon has chosen the most popular vehicle of its class in the world.
Its global success comes from having packed five powerful thrusters and an intelligent distributed control system into a compact 1x0.5x0.6 metre versatile system that can operate at 300m and 1000m.