A new company has established itself on Research Parkway in Wallingford, CT. Specializing in the design and production of a type of autonomous underwater vehicle known as a glider, Exocetus Autonomous Systems (Exocetus for short) is excited to launch its venture.
“We’re really excited about the growing market, and the opportunity afforded to us in locating in the Northeast, and particularly Connecticut,” says Joe Turner, a co-founder and head of Business Development. The company is small but looking to grow. “This is a market that is going to develop very quickly over the next several years, and we are looking to match that pace. We’ve already established prospective customers, and our production means will have to ramp up quickly to meet their needs.”
The company has set up at 7 Laser Lane, renting office and lab space from APS Technology. The solution is temporary, according to Turner. "We started this business with a very good idea of who the customers were and what their need was. We're going to grow quickly, hire quickly, and outgrow this space quickly."
The Coastal Glider was developed over a period of 8 years under contract with the Office of Naval Research. Exocetus recently purchased the IP and manufacturing and are looking to commercialize $15 M in research and development that went into the vehicle. "We know there are applications for this vehicle, and it's proven itself in over 5000 hours of operation." Several vehicles are in use by the Navy today, performing research activities with the Naval Postgraduate School.
Exocetus Autonomous Systems is a designer and producer of autonomous underwater vehicle customizeable for research and commercial activities. The Coastal Glider, their flagship product, is the only open platform glider that end users can freely modify to meet their specific needs, and a 5 kg payload to accommodate those needs. Additionally, the patented ballast engine provides top speeds of 2 kts, double that of other vehicles, and the ability to move easily between fresh and salt water without the need to re-ballast the vehicle.