SEABER Micro-AUVs: Compact, Capable, and Built for Real Coastal Missions

What YUCO and MARVEL do best — and how to choose the right configuration

Looking for an autonomous platform you can deploy from a small team and actually trust in coastal waters? SEABER builds micro-AUVs that are small, standardised, and mission-focused, so you’re not paying for features you won’t use. The result: faster mobilisations, predictable performance, and clean datasets — without a big-ship footprint.

At Grey 4 Blue Solutions, we help teams across Australia configure the YUCO and MARVEL lines to fit specific missions, payloads, and endurance targets.

What Makes SEABER Different

• Micro-AUVs, purpose-built for coastal work — compact form factor, fast setup, single-task variants.
• Standard depth rating across the range — 300 m for both YUCO and MARVEL, covering most coastal and shelf scenarios.
• Realistic endurance profiles — typical ~6 h at ~2.5 kn on survey variants, with select YUCO configurations offering longer runs at low speeds.
• Integrated navigation — DVL-assisted navigation and depth sensors on MARVEL; intuitive SEAPLAN mission planning across the range.

The Range at a Glance

YUCO: Micro-AUVs that make autonomy accessible

• Roles: coastal mapping, environmental monitoring, education, eDNA sampling.
• Highlights: compact (≈1 m length, 12 cm dia), easy to deploy and recover, off-the-shelf mission variants (e.g., SCAN, CTD, eDNA).
• Endurance/Speed: model-dependent; survey profiles around 6 h at ~2.5 kn, with long-endurance options on select builds.
• Why choose YUCO: the most cost-effective way to start running untethered coastal missions with a tight crew.

MARVEL: Micro-AUVs with defence-oriented options

• Roles: imaging, photogrammetry, survey, training and security tasks.
• Highlights: 300 m depth, DVL-assisted navigation, MARVEL-LUMEN for high-quality imaging/photogrammetry.
• Endurance/Speed: around 6 h at 2.5 kn on typical survey settings.
• Why choose MARVEL: when you want imaging-first or defence-leaning configurations with precise navigation baked in.

Choose by Mission (Not Hype)

• Shallow/coastal habitat mapping → YUCO-SCAN with integrated 680 kHz SSS and DVL for clean bottom coverage on a small platform.
• Photogrammetry & visual inspections → MARVEL-LUMEN for imaging-led sorties and structured data capture.
• Water-quality & biology → YUCO-CTD for profiles and transects, or YUCO-eDNA when you need minimally invasive biodiversity sampling at scale.
• Training & rapid deployment → YUCO base configurations keep the workflow simple for teaching labs and small operations.

👉 Planning tip: Treat “up to” endurance as best-case. Build your run-time around survey speed, sensor load, and sea state — then add margin.

Practical Advantages for Small Teams

• Two-person operations: launch/recover from small vessels or shore with minimal deck kit.
• Predictable setup: standard hull section and payload nose make configuration fast and repeatable.
• Straightforward mission planning: SEAPLAN supports grid lines, vertical profiles, and returns with a clean UI.
• Serviceability: streamlined routines mean less time lost to maintenance and more time in the water.

Where SEABER Beats Alternatives

• Versus ROVs (tethered): If your goal is area coverage and repeatable transects, untethered autonomy wins.
• Versus larger AUVs: For coastal programs where one or two people do the work, micro-AUVs cut logistics and cost per survey while still delivering the data products you need.
• Versus USVs: When the variables you care about are below the surface, an AUV puts sensors where they matter — at depth — on the exact track you planned.

Configure It Right with Grey 4 Blue

Tell us your depth, duration, sensors, and sea state. We’ll map that to the right SEABER build and mission plan:

• Platform selection (YUCO vs MARVEL) by payload and navigation needs
• Payload picks: SSS for seafloor, CTD for water-quality, eDNA for biodiversity, imaging for structure and habitat
• Run-time budgeting: survey speed, waypoints, and safe endurance margins
• Training & SOPs: pre-launch checks, recovery drills, and data workflows

Key Takeaways

A tight configuration and clean SOPs beat “more features” every time.

SEABER’s micro-AUVs deliver serious coastal capability without big-ship logistics.

YUCO = accessible autonomy with off-the-shelf mission variants.

MARVEL = imaging/defence-leaning builds with integrated navigation.

Plan endurance around survey speed and payloads — not brochure maximums.