Subdron

Subdron GmbH provides autonomous underwater inspection services, targeting the maritime, energy, and environmental monitoring sectors. Founded in 2018 by Thomas Vonach, the company is headquartered in Lauterach, Austria. Vonach, who serves as CEO, was inspired by a lifelong connection to water and a passion for technology to address the inefficiencies and high costs associated with traditional underwater inspection methods. The firm operates on a "Robotics-as-a-Service" (RaaS) model, making its advanced technology accessible without requiring clients to invest in or operate their own hardware.

The company's core offering is an autonomous platform that uses Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) enhanced with proprietary technology and artificial intelligence for inspecting submerged structures. This system is designed to autonomously scan ship hulls, port walls, and other subsea infrastructure to detect biofouling and structural integrity issues. A key technological component is the patented Relative Object Navigation (RON) system, which enables AUVs to navigate safely in close proximity to structures, even in confined spaces or low-visibility conditions, ensuring high-resolution data collection. The technology can achieve a precision of 5 cm and inspect up to 2 kilometers of infrastructure per day. Data is processed and analyzed to provide clients with actionable insights for maintenance and security.

Subdron's services are aimed at shipowners, port authorities, and infrastructure operators, offering a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative to inspections performed by divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). By providing precise data on biofouling, the company helps clients optimize hull cleaning schedules, which can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The platform also has applications in defense and security for inspecting critical infrastructure like subsea cables and detecting threats such as mines attached to vessel hulls. In July 2023, Subdron secured €1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round to accelerate development and expand operations, including opening a subsidiary in Porto, Portugal, to better access key maritime hubs.

Keywords: autonomous underwater inspection, maritime robotics, Robotics-as-a-Service, hull inspection, biofouling detection, underwater navigation, subsea infrastructure, port security, marine technology, autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV services, climate tech, shipping decarbonization, Relative Object Navigation, structural integrity monitoring, underwater data acquisition, damage assessment, port wall scanning, marine survey, asset integrity management