Clearpath Robotics Kingfisher Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV)
The Clearpath Robotics Kingfisher is a rugged battery powered unmanned surface vessel (USV) from Clearpath Robotics designed for research and rapid prototyping on the water. It is a small twin hull catamaran that one person can carry launch, and retrieve without tools and it runs on ROS drivers so it fits easily into robotics research workflows. Universities, government labs, and survey teams have used Clearpath Robotics Kingfisher for marine research autonomy competitions, and environmental and bathymetric data collection. It was later followed by Clearpath Heron USV.
Key Features Clearpath Robotics Kingfisher
- Portable catamaran design: about 1.3 m long and 0.94 m wide when deployed (the M200) narrowing to about 0.55 m when stored, and about 29 kg (64 lb) so one person can transport and launch it
- Electric water jet propulsion: a quiet electric drive that is gentle on the environment and avoids exposed propellers
- Out-of-the-box autonomy: a map based controller and autonomous control software ready for missions on day one with teleoperation also available
- Integrated sensing as standard: battery voltage, GPS, IMU, compass, and a hazard camera are included
- Rated payload: about 10 kg (22 lb) on the M200 with a modular expandable architecture for payloads from surveillance to environmental sensing
- Open software support: ROS drivers, C++ APIs and MOOS IvP support for custom autonomy and research code
- Communications: USB, Ethernet, RS-232, and RS-485 with a long range radio modem for linking to a base station and other vehicles
- User power for payloads: a 12 V fused supply for added equipment
- Rechargeable NiMH battery packs: a 14.4 V pack giving about 3 hours of run time on the M200 with a charge time of about 10 hours
- Backup remote control: a Futaba R/C controller for manual operation as a backup
- Typical kit contents: the vessel, two battery packs, a charger, and the backup remote control
Typical Applications
- Marine and freshwater research
- Bathymetric and hydrographic data collection with suitable sonar payloads
- Environmental monitoring and water sampling
- Autonomy and multi vehicle research and teaching
- Rapid prototyping of unmanned surface vehicle systems
- Remote survey and inspection work
Why Choose It
Clearpath Robotics Kingfisher gives researchers a small agile ready to use boat that is easy to transport and fast to deploy with open software for building custom autonomy. Its payload capacity and power outputs make it a flexible platform for sensors.
