HERBI Core electronics enclosure

• Price: Price on application

The core electronics enclosure of HERBI-USV consists of a folded and welded 2mm aluminium hull enclosed at the top with a screw-down lid that keeps out splashed water. The lid is raised, is non-metallic and includes internal recesses into which at least the GNSS antenna is housed so that it has suitable sky view without compromising ability to pass under low bridges and overhanging fences draped in the water. We found that commercial boat hatches do not stop splashed water and were vulnerable to mud, sand and water weed dropped on their seals. A superior sealing hatch had to be designed and has been, but it requires costly screw down latches. The front of HERBI-USV has a lightweight floating urethane balloon wheel integrated into the hull in such a way that it complements the streamlining of the hull. Together with the slide-back rear handle the wheel allows HERBI to be rolled in and out of water and across the ground easily by a single person, even with long streamers attached. A fold-up rack hosts WiFi and other antennas.

The HERBI ‘Nose’ can be clipped onto the base of the HERBI core enclosure and the HERBI propulsion unit may be clipped onto the back of the core enclosure. The ERT streamer passes out from the bottom rear of the core enclosure, such that if the propulsion unit is attached, towing forces are firmly centred in the craft, keeping it stable and maintaining steering efficiency and responsiveness.

As of January 2025, design and testing of hatch enhancements and manufacturing simplifications need to continue prior to commercialization.