Riptide Autonomous Solutions launched its second generation “micro” UUV product during Oceanology International 2018 in London.

Riptide says that the MK II product offers “significant improvements” over the MK I µUUV.

With a focus on performance and manufacturability improvements, the new MKII µUUV has undergone a “near-total redesign of internal electronics.” As a result, it offers a “nearly 70% reduction” in hotel load power to 3.5 Watts, which extends vehicle endurance across the vehicle speed regime.

New manufacturing approaches—including increased use of molded parts instead of 3-D printed parts—allows for “expanded depth ratings, faster production times and improved quality assurance.”

“The MK II µUUV is a significant step forward for Riptide,” says John Vestri, Chief Operating Office of Riptide. “It advances our mission of Deeper, Faster, Further UUVs for our diverse customer base.”

According to Riptide, the user-friendly features of its family of systems, including payload versatility and open architecture, remain important benefits of the MK II design.

Riptide’s open source software has continued to expand with updated mission planning, vehicle checkout, and mission sortie execution tools.

The MK II µUUV offers a variety of capabilities, including a 300-meter depth rating, speeds over 10 knots, and an endurance of more than 40 hours at two knots without a payload on alkaline batteries.

All of these features resulted in the UUV receiving a lot of interest during Oceanology International 2018, according to Jeff Smith, CEO.

“The µUUV really stood out for its high performance and affordable price, despite a growing number of lower-performing, higher cost, entries into the market,” Smith says.

Riptide says that at base prices below $15,000, the MK II µUUV value proposition is unique in the market. The company is now accepting orders on the second generation MK II µUUV, and has begun shipping the new MK IIs.