Greenroom Robotics, the Fremantle-based outfit that was a recent winner of the Western Australia Innovator of the Year award, has sealed a Fleet Wide Partnership Agreement with EGS Survey, a move set to standardise the use of its GAMA maritime autonomy system across all of EGS’s future Fremantle-class uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

The partnership, announced during West Tech Fest, accelerates the shift toward cleaner, lower-impact hydrographic survey operations. For Greenroom, the deal provides a major validation and distribution channel for its homegrown GAMA software, and ensures deep integration and continuous improvement across EGS’s expanding USV fleet.

Uncrewed vessels are quickly becoming the industry standard for ocean mapping, not just for efficiency but for their drastically reduced environmental footprint, operating on a fraction of the fuel consumed by traditional survey ships.

The partnership follows the successful deployment of USV Fremantle 01, which recently completed a 42-day offshore, unpiloted mission for the HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program off Esperance, WA. That pilot mission underscored the practical advantages of advanced autonomy in the sector.

It achieved a 94% reduction in diesel use compared to a traditional vessel over the 42-day mission. The distinction here is that there was a reduction in fuel usage for the survey data generated. This is due mainly to the extra power needed for manned boats. The mission also demonstrated consistent survey-line keeping, COLREGs-compliant maneuvering, and advanced predictive control.

The headline figure, though, is that the mission delivered operating costs reportedly up to 75% lower than traditional crewed survey operations.

Given that only about a quarter of the world’s ocean floor has been mapped to modern standards, the demand for efficient, high-quality, and low-impact survey capability is surging across sectors like marine conservation, offshore renewable infrastructure, and safe navigation.

Under the terms of the partnership, Greenroom Robotics will serve as EGS Survey's preferred supplier for autonomous control and navigation software, providing GAMA licenses, integration, and ongoing technical support across the Fremantle-class fleet.

The boat itself is unmanned during missions but is remotely crewed from a shed in Fremantle. The skippers remotely pilot the boat using 360-degree cameras, radars and an Xbox remote. The boat stays in contact with the home base via 2 Starlink devices strapped to the roof.

EGS Survey Australia Chief Surveyor, Charles Collins, highlighted the impact of the autonomy platform on the company's core offering. “Our goal with the Fremantle-class USVs is to deliver safe, efficient and high-quality survey outcomes for our clients,” Collins stated. “Greenroom’s GAMA system has been central to achieving that vision. This partnership ensures every future vessel benefits from a deeply integrated and continuously improving autonomy solution built here in Western Australia.”

Greenroom Robotics co-founder and COO, Harry Hubbert, framed the move as a direct pathway to industry-wide decarbonization. “Our mission at Greenroom is to help deliver safe, clean and protected oceans,” Hubbert said. “Autonomous vessels are a practical way to reduce emissions, minimise marine disturbance and expand access to high-quality seabed data. Working with EGS allows us to scale that mission across an entire fleet built here in Western Australia.”

Western Australian Government Minister for Science and Innovation Stephen Dawson praised the news, stating, "We are immensely proud of Greenroom Robotics’ ground-breaking achievements, particularly their recent accolade at the WA Innovators of the Year awards."