In a first-of-its-kind demonstration mission, Saildrone, in partnership with Meta, has successfully completed a deepwater cable route survey in the North Atlantic using the Saildrone Surveyor, a 20-m USV. This innovative project represents a major milestone in the evolution of ocean survey technology, proving that autonomous platforms can deliver data quality and performance on par with traditional crewed survey vessels—while dramatically reducing risk and cost.

During the 26-day survey conducted in June and July 2024, the Saildrone Surveyor mapped more than 4,500 km of seabed, including complex topographies and challenging conditions, without a port call or outside assistance. Operating under sail and motor-sail modes and equipped with a Kongsberg EM304 MKII multibeam sonar, the Surveyor achieved swath coverage of up to 10 km in water depths of up to 5,500 m.

The demonstration focused on collecting bathymetric data along the established Anjana cable route and the recently surveyed Aurora route to directly compare the Saildrone Surveyor’s performance against traditional crewed survey vessels. Key operational metrics—route fidelity, line keeping, data transmission and depth accuracy—met or exceeded expectations across the board.

Learn more here.