River monitoring drone boats arrive in UK

Autonomous and remote-controlled drone boats that can measure discharge flow rate and water quality in rivers are available in the UK for the first time, thanks to an exclusive partnership between Xylem and Surfbee Hydrobotics, a marine and aquatic robotic solutions provider.  

Founded in Australia in 2016, Surfbee is an innovative leader in development of autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) - robotic vessels that sit on the water’s surface and collect a range of data. Surfbee’s partnership with Xylem represents its entry into the European market.  

The water monitoring Surfbee vehicles have a 1km transmitter with Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, hold a top speed of 4m/s and are powered by common power tool lithium-ion batteries. 

Compatible with Xylem’s YSI EXO water quality sonde and SonTek-M9 or RS5 acoustic current profilers, the vehicles can be deployed by water companies for regulatory water quality sampling, flow discharge gauging, surveying, reservoir management and environmental research. The Surfbee app enhances autonomy with pre-programmed GPS mission-planning and live onboard video streaming via a high-definition camera. 

Darren Hanson, director of environmental solution at Xylem, said: “The Xylem and Surfbee partnership offers water utilities in the UK and European mainland access to combined world-class drone and sensor technology, which will collect exponentially more data than is possible in a regular boat or with point sampling. 

“Almost any outdoor application requiring a YSI or SonTek sensor can now be completed faster and cover a wider area with less operational expense. This will be a gamechanger for UK utilities and can assist them in meeting the requirements of the Environment Act 2021, legislation which states water companies must continuously monitor the quality of the receiving water upstream and downstream of their assets.” 

Xylem’s UK water quality team has completed hands-on training of the Surfbee vehicles at sites including the River Severn in Shrewsbury and the River Spey in North-East Scotland. 

James Chapman, environmental solutions business development manager at Xylem, said: “We’ve explored all the features of the Surfbee, including its manoeuvrability, steer redundancy, mid-stream loiter hold and autonomous lateral gauging. The inflatable hull and power tool battery compatibility also offers seamless storage and transport options. 

“Using the Surfbee app on an android controller, we mapped precise GPS-controlled missions for high-quality ADCP flow discharge and water quality data collection. This is a step-change in water quality and flow discharge monitoring - exciting times lie ahead as we continue to unlock the full potential of this cutting-edge technology.” 

Jack Hurley, chief executive and founder of Surfbee said: “We are thrilled our vessels are now CE certified, marking our official entry into the EU and UK markets. This represents a landmark moment for Surfbee as our technology is adopted much more widely, with expansion into over 50 countries worldwide. 

“Our local partner Xylem is ready to provide top-tier support to all of our European users. Their expertise will ensure smooth deployments and excellent service across the region.”  

Surfbee models now available in the UK and across Europe are Flow Seeker, Flow Finder and Flow Scout, which are designed for deployment in a wide range of waters and conditions.   

To learn more about Surfbee technology, visit Xylem’s stand at the Water, Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring event on 9-10 October 2024, Birmingham NEC, F10, F11 & G10. 

Taxonomy

• Water