Inauguration of the air-sea experimental basin, the only one of its kind in Europe

The new test basin enables the analysis of the performance of new observation methods and technologies that combine multi-environment autonomous robotics, acoustic systems, sensors, aerial and underwater communications, artificial intelligence, and data processing. This broad spectrum of scientific expertise is brought together at a high level on the ENSTA campuses and is further developed for marine applications at the Brest campus, where scientific teams now benefit from complementary experimental resources at sea and in the tank to meet the needs of ocean knowledge and modeling.

The project arose from a key observation: understanding the ocean, exploring the deep sea, and conducting maritime surveillance require a comprehensive range of aerial, marine, and underwater technologies. Industrial innovation faces increasingly complex challenges and requires smarter, more autonomous robots capable of communicating with one another and carrying out long-duration missions while operating in various environments (underwater, on the surface, and in the air).

As soon as it becomes operational, the facility will host large-scale projects:

• RACAM: A fleet of marine robots dedicated to studying the cybersecurity of drone “swarms” (CPER 2021–2027).
• ID-GF (Deep-Sea Distributed Imager, France 2030 project): A program involving several autonomous floats equipped with new hybrid underwater communication methods for deep-sea exploration. A key component of the project—in which ENSTA plays a leading role—involves arranging the floats to form a discrete underwater array. A system that includes, in particular, an underwater laser is being developed and will enable short-range communication between the floats. Tests on the laser’s range have begun in the test tank.
• EMOI (Integrated Offshore Wind Observation, an interdisciplinary project coordinated by Ifremer): A new technology for acoustically positioned underwater profilers is being designed and developed by ENSTA teams at Lab-STICC to measure the effects of turbulence created by offshore wind turbine towers on pelagic marine ecosystems. The project is led by Ifremer, in collaboration with ENSTA and the Open-C Foundation (which oversees the five French offshore floating wind test sites).
• Underwater Refueling Robot (AUVr): An autonomous docking system enabling underwater drones to connect for data transfer or recharging (in collaboration with AID: the Defense Innovation Agency).
• MOSTS (Underwater Object Manipulation by a Fleet of Robots via an Over-constrained Tensegrity Structure): The manipulation of heavy objects underwater is currently carried out from the surface, but remains difficult to control and is sometimes impossible in complex or deep environments. The project proposes using a fleet of coordinated robots, connected by cables in a tensegrity structure, to move these objects with greater precision, stability, and flexibility.

Photo credit: ©Julien Creff / ENSTA