Where are we ?
Austral is a company based in Lorient in Southern Brittany and is located near Lorient La Base, ‘The place to be’ in Europe for ocean racing, composites, ships of the future, and home port of the scientific sailing ship Tara. Lorient is also a center for the design and production of some of Europe’s most efficient defense vessels, notably with Naval Group.
Who are we ?
Austral is a “deep tech” company with 30 years of experience in the field of marine and underwater electronics: racing sails, control and command, underwater acoustics, protocols.
These fields of expertise have been extended to new technologies: Flight control of future boats, IOT, AI control-command.
Austral has established close partnerships to add new skills:
– The mastery of mechatronics up to the realization of a complete system (drone, buoy…)
– AI applied in particular to acoustic imaging.
Austral puts its know-how at the service of mankind and the ocean by focusing its internal research and development themes on subjects related to environmental emergencies :
- Monitoring our blue lung and the biodiversity of our planet.
- Reducing the fuel consumption of our vessels through flight and clean hybrid propulsion systems (diesel, electric, gas, etc.)
This long-term vision is implemented through the management of or participation in various projects carried out with a network of experts, partner companies, universities and research laboratories, and with the support of economic development and environmental protection actors.
Experience
Project management
Austral has experience in managing projects and deliverables for French institutions such as: Pôle de compétitivité, DGA RAPID, Marine Nationale.
Sailing competition
Austral’s founder is driven by a passion for the sea and has a unique experience at the cutting edge of ocean racing technology :
- Design of numerous displays, sensors and innovative concepts (ultrasonic & MHD speedometers, man overboard detection…) .
- Autopilots (including the GyroPilot with an exceptional commercial longevity).
- Recorders, wind calculators and performance and safety steering overlays.
- A perfect knowledge of marine communication protocols and interface to commercial instruments and displays.
- Instigator of visual programming in marine electronics adopted in the world of offshore racing as the advantages are important.
- Modeling, simulation and flight control of 3 foiler sailboats (26 and 35 feet catamarans and a 100 feet trimaran).
- Involvement in 4 Vendée Globe victories and dozens of transatlantic races.
Drones
Austral has experience in the design of surface and underwater drones :
- System :
- System architecture of several types of AUVs (Identification, Mine Warfare, Buried Objects, Target…).
- Computer, robotics middleware
- Integration of sensors (GPS, INS, DVL, Sonar, Modem, USBL…), batteries, servo controls and propulsion.
- Security
- Navigation :
- Modeling / Simulation / Servoing.
- Decision-making autonomy of the first USV surface drone carrying AUVs for mine warfare.
- Positioning and guidance of AUVs (Swarm, Docking).
Underwater acoustics
- Invention, 20 years ago, of a speedometer measuring the speed of a ship, without contact with the water, without moving mechanics and through the hull. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” formulated Arthur C. Clarke, this technology is the processing of very high frequency acoustic images on plankton and micro-bubbles in suspension.
- Responsibility for various military projects and demonstrators: Sonar for frigate, Sonar calibration, Modem, Detection of buried mines …
- Responsibility for the COMET sea cluster project (low cost acoustic positioning of a pack of AUVs), demonstrator of the MELODI project for mapping polymetallic nodule fields.
Marine IOT, AIOT, Big Data
Austral wants to become a major player in IOT adapted to the marine industry and is working through the development of its Quantum computer on the latest technologies of the connected boat.
Founder
Philippe Raude : Manager of Austral Electronics
Engineer (Electronics, Embedded Computing, Command Control, Underwater Acoustics)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-raude-701b13162/
Partners
