Army Innovation Award – Robotic Z-Boat
BlueZone Group is pleased to announce the award of an order to UVS Pty Ltd for supply of three robotic “ZBoats”
to The Australian Army. This order comes as a direct result of BZG’s participation in Army Innovation
Day (AID) 2016 where the lead theme was ‘manned and unmanned teaming for the soldier.’
AID 2016 is a part
of the Army Innovation Investigation Program that helps to shape Army’s capability and its approach to the
challenges of modern war-fighting.
BlueZone Group General Manager Defence, Andrew Hazell, said that BlueZone Group’s exhibiting of the
Teledyne OceanScience Z-Boat at AID 2016 had attracted a large amount of attention from the AID delegates.
“We found the Army Innovation Day experience to be a thoroughly refreshing way to approach innovation
for the Australian Defence Force,” said Andrew, “The Innovation Day initiative was an ideal low-logistics way
for SMEs to introduce innovative technologies to Army and to have detailed conversation with potential users
in an atmosphere of collaboration.”
Army Innovation Day is an example of Army, in conjunction with the
CDIC, delivering on a promise to increase and improve engagement with innovative SMEs
Following AID 2016 BlueZone Group met with Army and very quickly developed novel capability options for the
provision of a Z-Boat fleet.
These capabilities will make significant contributions to Army’s urgent and pressing
need to de-risk the riverine environment and will provide users with comprehensive and accurate data to assist
a broad range of operations – including humanitarian relief. The Z-Boat project is an excellent example of
Army innovation through collaboration with technologically agile SMEs like the BlueZone Group.
Three variants of Z-Boat will be provided:
• Hydrographic Survey. This capability will enable multibeam bathymetric and LiDAR survey of
the coastal and riverine environment to enable safe passage and entry into the environment. The
Z-Boat may be operated under remote control or in an autonomous waypoint-following mode.
• Flow and Current Monitoring. This capability will be implemented with an Acoustic Doppler
Current Profiler (ADCP) payload to gather information on river flow to support Army bridging
activities and general surveillance.
• Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR). A general ISR capability will be developed
incorporating video and infrared cameras complemented by a laser survey capability. Real-time
transmission of data to operator/shore will be supported. Concepts of operation may include as a
Riverine Scout Boat.
The Z-Boat is a strong example of a robotic technology that takes the soldier out of the danger zone and
supports manned-unmanned teaming (MuMT) for a combined army team in a joint environment. The Riverine
Scout Boat can be deployed into areas of uncertain hostility and confirm or deny the presence of hostile forces
to de-risk the riverine environment.
For river measurement, the Z-Boat can be deployed in dangerous (e.g.
flooding & fast-flowing) rivers or other rivers where hazards exist (e.g. crocodile attack or bio-hazards).
The payload capability of the Z-Boat could be used for munitions re-supply to support enhanced precision lethality.
Andrew Hazell said that the Z-Boat was a strong example of a novel capability that Navy could also consider
for littoral survey and rapid environmental assessment projects such as SEA1770 and SEA2400.
“The capability for in-shore and coastal bathymetric survey using the autonomous waypoint following function of the
Z-Boat is an innovative approach that may be of benefit for these projects,” said Andrew, “BlueZone Group is
well placed to support autonomous and robotic maritime technology for the ADF, as we have a track record of
supporting a number of System Project Offices through our ongoing maintenance of the SAAB Double Eagle
Mine Disposal System since 2000, the Liquid Robotics Wave Gliders, Seabotix ROVs and Hydroid REMUS
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.”
About BlueZone Group
BlueZone Group was formed in 2015 when Australian-based SMEs ATSA Defence Services and UVS Pty Ltd
joined to create a capability that provides the ADF with robotic systems that support maintenance of an
essential technology edge. Operating from offices and workshops in Newcastle, Melbourne and Perth, the 36
technology-focussed staff are a part of the exciting future for robotics in rivers, coastal seas and deep oceans
for customers including Defence, Offshore Oil & Gas, oceanographic research and hydrographic survey.
