The NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre has partnered with start-up company Wight Ocean Ltd on a successful proposal into the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator’s (DASA) Map the Gap funding program.

The project will develop an amphibious bottom crawler to navigate and transit water crossings to gather near real-time data for analysis. The NOC will take the role of scientific advisor on this project, and through this collaboration Wight Ocean have also joined the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre as a Partner.

Wight Ocean Ltd., is a privately-owned start-up company founded in 2019 by Graham Lester, who has extensive international experience in both defense and commercial marine robotics markets. Wight Ocean is based on the Isle of Wight, UK, and helps customers in selecting underwater technologies where capability gaps exist, offering marine robotics solutions, systems, and sensors. Supporting naval defense, governmental, commercial and research organizations, Wight Ocean partners with leading underwater equipment manufacturers and software suppliers to provide unique solutions that meet customer needs.

Aidan Thorn, Innovation Centre manager, said: “This collaboration with Wight Ocean is the perfect example of why the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre was established. We have worked in partnership with Graham at Wight Ocean to develop a successful funding application and are now contributing NOC expertise into a project with an industry partner to satisfy end-user requirements. And we are not resting on our laurels as we continue to seek additional opportunities for further collaboration through this successful partnership.”

Graham Lester – Owner, Director, Wight Ocean Ltd., said: “We are excited to be joining the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre. We successfully teamed with the NOC on the DASA ‘Map the Gap’ Challenge earlier this year and look forward to increasing our collaboration with the NOC on other projects. Wight Ocean was formed to offer and develop novel marine robotic solutions. Working with the Innovation Centre and its partner companies offers exciting opportunities for the future.”

For further information on specific products and projects, please see the Wight Ocean website.