Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation and VideoRay have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at offering integrated underwater robotic systems to meet the evolving needs of maritime industries. This partnership brings together VideoRay’s expertise in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) with Sarcos’ innovative Guardian Sea Class robotic system, featuring its power-efficient dexterous arm.

The agreement between Sarcos and VideoRay enables the sale of integrated robotic systems, individual products, and replacement parts, accompanied by comprehensive repair services and support. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for the industry, facilitating easy access to pre-integrated solutions that combine VideoRay’s top-tier ROVs with Sarcos’ advanced Sea Class system.

Kiva Allgood, President and CEO of Sarcos, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, stating, “Through this relationship, we aim to make it easy for customers to acquire and deploy complete underwater systems, combining VideoRay’s best-in-class remotely operated vehicles with our advanced one- or two-armed Sea Class system.”

Sarcos’ Guardian Sea Class robotic system boasts a modular design, ensuring seamless integration with VideoRay’s lineup of portable ROVs. VideoRay’s ROV systems are renowned for their power and maneuverability, enabling operation in challenging underwater conditions with currents of up to four knots.

The Guardian Sea Class system, equipped with one, two, or six-degree of freedom arms, demonstrates exceptional performance in depths of up to one kilometer for extended durations of up to two hours. Leveraging the expertise of RE2, acquired by Sarcos in March 2022, and VideoRay, the companies achieved a significant milestone by operating at depths exceeding one kilometer.

This achievement was realized through the Maritime Mine Neutralization System (M2NS), featuring VideoRay’s Defender ROV base and Sarcos’ Guardian Sea Class robotic system. The collaboration between the two companies resulted in a groundbreaking demonstration for the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), showcasing the capabilities of autonomous underwater systems in challenging environments.

Chris Gibson, CEO of VideoRay, emphasized the compatibility of VideoRay’s ROVs with Sarcos’ Guardian Sea Class system, stating, “Our ROVs are a natural fit with the Guardian Sea Class system, offering the most advanced underwater inspection capability on the market today.”

With a focus on teleoperation via supervised autonomy and electronic-driven systems, the Guardian Sea Class eliminates the need for bulky hydraulic power units, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational complexities. This integrated solution represents a significant advancement in underwater exploration and deep-sea operations, providing maritime industries with unparalleled capabilities for underwater inspection and intervention.