OPT’s PowerBuoy under review as autonomous system for marine defense

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has been contracted for a feasibility study into using its PB3 PowerBuoy offshore 5G communications solution with unmanned and robotic systems.

OPT has been hired by Adams Communications & Engineering Technology (ACET) in support of the U.S. Navy’s Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Sea, Land, Air, Military Research (SLAMR) Initiative, which conducts interdisciplinary research in unmanned and robotic systems.

OPT and ACET will review, validate, and determine the cost and configuration of integrating OPT solutions as the basis of an autonomous offshore 5G communications system.

The study will detail preliminary operational, deployment, and maintenance plans, and regulatory approval requirements to support the SLAMR initiative’s focus on unmanned and robotic systems.

Charles Adams, ACET President and CEO, said: “ACET’s subcontract with OPT brings this potential technology solution one step closer to reality through the SLAMR research initiative at NPS and demonstrates our commitment to deliver products that meet or exceed our customer’s needs”.

George Kirby, President and Chief Executive Officer of OPT, said: “This NPS initiative is about exploiting cutting edge technologies in autonomous systems for marine defense. We are proud to be part of this effort. Working closely with the U.S. Navy, ACET, and the SLAMR initiative, we believe that OPT’s solutions can be a focal point of the SLAMR mission profile”.