Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded its first certification for an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the DriX maritime drone, developed by robotics expert Exail
The DriX system design was reviewed against the Lloyd’s Register Code for Unmanned Marine Systems and the new certification attests the surface drone meets critical safety requirements to be operated at sea.
It included a detailed system-level analysis, construction survey and sea trials. The review covered essential design areas such as structural integrity, stability, and command and control in the context of remotely supervised autonomy.
The certification is a milestone for the DriX USV and its operators and marks a major step forward in the maritime industry’s adoption of new autonomous technologies.
Last month, a private equity firm began a new funding round for an Australia-based AI robotics and navigation specialist, Advanced Navigation.
LR naval centre of expertise manager Paul James said, “We are pleased to have worked with Exail to provide independent assurance for the DriX system. It’s great to work with a company that is innovative, engaging and committed to responsible deployment of autonomous technologies.”
“At Exail, we are closely involved in developing maritime drones’ regulations, trying to raise the standards and acceptance of USVs,” added Exail marine autonomy technical director, Stéphane Vannuffelen.
He added, “By working together with class societies such as Lloyd’s Register, that attest to maritime drones’ highest levels of safety and environmental compliance, we aim to demonstrate autonomous technologies are safe to deploy and operate.”
