SYSTEM / 01Subsea positioning
STAR-RTK
Locate underwater assets, position them and return directly to a known target using a portable acoustic positioning system.
MARINE TECHNOLOGY · MISSION FOCUSED
Precision systems for demanding subsea missions.
Underwater positioning, agile robotics and motorised fibre-optic systems. Locate precisely, return directly to a target and operate with confidence.
FIND.
REACH.
ACT.
DIRECT TO TARGET.
01 / Our solutionsThree technologies.
Three technologies.
One operational vision.
Complementary systems designed for real subsea missions. Deploy them together or individually. One shared ambition: accurate positioning so you can go straight to the target.
SYSTEM / 01
SYSTEM / 02Underwater robotics
STAR-ROV
Portable and deployable from vessels of opportunity. A six-degree-of-freedom ROV for agile navigation, observation and remote operations from the surface.
SYSTEM / 03Fibre-optic tether systems
STAR-FO
Miniaturised motorised fibre-optic reel with interchangeable 300–3,000 m spools, RJ45 connectivity and a 300 Mbps target data rate. Standalone system for IP-controlled ROVs.
02 / Technology
Know where you are.
Know where you are.
Go straight to the target.
STAR-RTK combines seabed acoustic transmitters, a GNSS-RTK surface reference and a miniaturised receiver on the underwater vehicle for georeferenced missions over extended areas.
Explore the mission components below
STAR / FIELD DEPLOYMENT
01 / SURFACE
Vessel of opportunity
A non-dedicated support vessel carries mission control, with data links to the ROV and reference buoy.
FROM REFERENCE TO ACTIONThree steps, from reference to action
01 / DEPLOY
Mark the work area acoustically
Place 3–4 seabed pingers around the work area.
02 / SYNCHRONIZE
Synchronise the references
Use the GNSS-RTK buoy for temporal synchronisation and georeferencing.
03 / NAVIGATE
Navigate underwater vehicles
Compute positions onboard from measured acoustic arrival times.
03 / ApplicationsWhere capability
Where capability
meets the mission.
Lightweight, portable and adaptable technology for real mission constraints, with no unnecessary complexity or cost.
Industrial inspection
Hull & port inspection
Inspect ships’ hulls, quays and harbour floors in a georeferenced workspace supported by acoustic positioning.
Discuss this mission
Survey & navigation
Seabed mapping
Support repeatable paths and georeferenced data acquisition across survey areas.
Discuss this mission
Naval applications
Maritime security
Support multi-vehicle underwater navigation where GNSS is unavailable or jammed, including demanding maritime-security operations.
Discuss this mission
Critical infrastructure
Offshore energy
Assist subsea inspection and maintenance tasks around offshore installations.
Discuss this mission
Marine science
Ocean exploration
Help researchers investigate and document the underwater environment.
Discuss this mission
Flexible deployment
Vessels of opportunity
Adapt to available surface assets without designing an entire mission around a dedicated ship.
Discuss this mission04 / Why STAREngineered to work
Engineered to work
outside the lab.
Our design philosophy is simple: lightweight, portable and adaptable systems built around real-world operational constraints, not unnecessary complexity.
Precise geolocation
Georeferenced workflows from seabed mapping to return visits, target identification and intervention without unnecessary detours.
Modular architecture
Modular components that adapt to different vehicles and complex mission requirements.
Rapid setup
Lightweight systems designed for rapid deployment from vessels of opportunity, without prior field calibration.
Connected products
Independent positioning, ROV and fibre-reel products with standardised digital interfaces.
STAR-FO / Independent technology
Motorised fibre deployment.
Motorised fibre deployment.
Controlled recovery.
STAR-FO combines a miniaturised motorised reel, SFP optical interfaces and single-mode optical fibre. Designed to pay out and rewind fibre under controlled tension, it offers plug-and-play RJ45 connectivity for compatible IP-controlled ROVs.
Powered pay-out & retrievalSFP optics · RJ45 · 300 Mbps targetInterchangeable spools · 300–3,000 m
Discover STAR-FO
Spools 300–3,000 m · nominal mass 3 kg · 300 Mbps data rate: published design specifications to be confirmed.
05 / Engineering perspectivesIdeas from
Ideas from
below the surface.
Engineering insights grounded in maritime operations, mission preparation and accessible subsea technology. Article previews, not published studies.
Technical note · Positioning
Why underwater positioning needs a different approach
Reference geometry and acoustic time-of-flight measurements in areas without underwater GNSS reception, avoiding dependence on an expensive fully instrumented vessel.
Explore the conceptEngineering note · Robotics
The case for compact, mission-ready underwater robots
Mission preparation, portability and precise navigation are as important as raw specifications for cost-effective operations.
Explore our approachEngineering note · STAR-FO
Motorised deployment and recovery of subsea optical fibre
A compact motorised reel, standardised SFP optical interfaces and controlled-tension fibre handling for a reliable subsea link.
Explore STAR-FO06 / Common questionsBuilt for questions.
Built for questions.
Designed for answers.
Answers about mission integration, technical design targets and interoperability.
How do STAR-RTK and STAR-ROV fit together?
STAR-RTK provides underwater positioning data, while STAR-ROV is an underwater robotic vehicle. They can be considered together for mission workflows, or assessed separately depending on project requirements.
Does STAR-RTK require a dedicated support vessel?
No dedicated vessel is envisaged. Portable pingers, a surface reference and a mission-control data link can be deployed from a suitable vessel of opportunity, subject to sea conditions and local operating constraints.
Is STAR-FO limited to STAR-ROV?
No. STAR-FO is an independent motorised reel with SFP optical interfaces and RJ45 Ethernet connectivity, intended for IP-controlled ROVs. Integration still depends on mechanical, power and interface compatibility.
Are the technical figures already qualified?
Not necessarily. Some figures, including range, depth, weight and data rate, are stated targets or design specifications. Confirmed qualifications and sea-trial performance must be identified separately.
Can we discuss a custom configuration or demonstration?
Yes. STAR is positioned for exploratory technical discussions and tailored field demonstrations. Use the contact form below to provide the mission context.
07 / Let's discuss your missionFind. Reach. Act.
Find. Reach. Act.
Direct to Target.
Tell us what you need to accomplish underwater. We’ll explore the right technical approach together.