News

September Update: Darwin Operations Commence

22 September, 2021

Robert Dane

Dear Shareholders, Friends and Colleagues,

Since our Christening ceremony on 18 June 2021, we have been commissioning and testing our boats at our UNSW Randwick Campus facility with staff practising COVID safety, working in shifts and working from home. As the Botany Bay boat ramp is in a Local Government Area that is shut down, we have been launching and recovering out of Sydney’s Rose Bay and testing around a wave buoy four nautical miles off Dee Why.

Meanwhile, thanks to the NT Government and their Defence team, we have four engineers processed through the Howard Springs facility. With the great co-operation of HMAS Coonawarra, Norship and NT Port Authority, we have been testing our Bluebottles in an area south of Tiwi Island, gaining experience in what we might expect compared to NSW.

Heading North, sail up to the early sun, glassy conditions off Tiwi Island, mast camera

Heading East, sail down, sunrise, mast camera

Heading NW, sail up, sunrise in aft starboard camera

Issues we need to deal with will include:

Range of 4G communications
Strong tides, currents, and murky waters
High water temperatures, tropical heat, and condensation
Logistics & procedures & safety including crocodiles!
Cyclones

At any time, you can see where the boats are on the LIVE page on our website https://www.ocius.com.au/live

Separately, we’d like to give a huge thank you to the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) Kirribilli. We have set up an ‘intelligent mast’ on their outer pontoon. This mast has the same sensors as our masts at sea but being located on Sydney Harbour, it encounters varied contacts more frequently. This means our algorithm can ‘learn’ quicker and ‘fuse’ data better from AIS, radar and cameras for the purpose of collision avoidance and detecting and classifying contacts.

Wed 22 Sept 7.52 am Victor Chang Ferry detected by AIS, radar and camera. Top chart: Mast at RSYS detects Victor Chang ferry on AIS + Radar. Bottom left: normal camera. Bottom right: camera algorithm detects and classifies it as a boat 22.1%

Wed 22 Sept 7.53 am Paddle Boarder detected by camera. Top chart: Mast at RSYS. Bottom left: normal camera. Bottom right: camera algorithm detects and classifies it as a surfboard 34.5%

Finally, we hope you enjoy this short video of new our 22’ Bluebottle BLUEY sailing off Botany Bay with a new folding prop and new radar mount.

For all our news, please see our website and I look forward to updating you again soon. Please feel free to ring me anytime.

Robert Dane, CEO. 0413 580 953