Boeing this week announced an agreement to acquire a developer of autonomous ocean robots.
Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider debuted as the first wave- and solar-powered autonomous ocean surface robot in 2007. Boeing officials said that the deal will bolster the aerospace giant's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The companies began collaborating in the fall of 2014 on the Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft, a version of the Wave Glider equipped with Boeing sensors to connect satellites, aircraft and sub-surface operations.
"We are helping our customers address maritime challenges in ways that make existing platforms smarter, missions safer and operations more efficient,” Leanne Caret, the chief of Boeing's Defense, Space & Security business, said in a statement.
Liquid Robotics, which employs about 100 people in California and Hawaii, will become a subsidiary of Boeing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“This acquisition allows us to leverage the strengths of one of the world’s leading global companies while continuing to push our innovation to new levels," added Liquid Robotics CEO Gary Gysin.
