The first high-speed underwater survey robot to outperform human experts

Dr Brett Kettle, a pioneer in coral reef protection and with over three decades of experience, has led critical advances in oil spill management, coastal development, ship grounding prosecutions, and seagrass protection during dredging. His expert testimony has shaped key policy decisions, including the world’s largest settlement for ship damage in a coral reef area, and has conducted the largest ever reef remediation project in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). He served from 2019 to 2024 as Chair of the Independent Technical Advisory Committee for Townsville Port dredging.

In 2017, in the wake of ongoing Crown of Thorns Starfish (CoTS) outbreaks, Dr Kettle began to develop a high-speed, broad-scale underwater visual survey tool to document the GBR on an unprecedented scale. His vision was to use emerging technologies—such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)—to accelerate the analysis of collected data and document more of the reef than ever before.

The Flying Fish Technologies team continued to evolve the hardware through 2022, and the technology has advanced with ruggedized design, precise flight control, and high quality local manufacturing capability. 

Our Vertigo3 gliders now cover 10 hectares (25 acres) and capture over 50,000 high-resolution images, per hour, combined with associated geospatial and environmental data depending on the mission parameters.

At the same time, FFT has developed a range of analysis tools, including machine learning models for real-time biodiversity identification, data cataloguing, and a pipeline for producing photorealistic digital twins—geospatially accurate 3D models of reef ecosystems. This innovation allows us to deliver actionable insights to clients without them ever needing to get wet.

Flying Fish Technologies now has a fleet of Vertigo3 gliders ready for rapid deployment worldwide, and proudly sit at the forefront of underwater ecological surveying. We are able to transport the gliders internationally within standard carry-on luggage limits, and can safely deploy from a range of small to medium sized vessels in a variety of weather conditions.

 Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise in marine biology, AI/ML, engineering, and mechatronics. We're skilled skippers, pilots, and spotters, and, most importantly, we deeply understand marine ecosystems.

Whether you need to monitor coral reefs, marine habitats, or any underwater ecosystem, we provide efficient, high-quality surveys that deliver fast, precise results.