Blueprint Design Engineering Ltd (Blueprint Subsea)
"Advanced underwater acoustic sensors without compromise"
UK maker of Oculus multibeam imaging sonars, SeaTrac micro-USBL beacons and StarFish sidescan sonars for ROVs, AUVs and divers; part of AION Group.
Blueprint Subsea is the trading name of Blueprint Design Engineering Ltd, a British developer and manufacturer of compact underwater acoustic products for the subsea, offshore and defence markets. The company was incorporated in England on 19 July 2006 (Companies House number 05881532) and is based at The Clock Tower Business Centre, Low Wood, Ulverston, Cumbria, in the north-west of England. Its products are designed in-house, and the company marked its 20th anniversary in 2026. Management named on the website includes Managing Director James Barratt and Technical Director Robin Sharphouse.
The product line covers four families: multibeam imaging sonars, sidescan sonars, acoustic positioning and data beacons, and diver navigation systems. These are widely fitted to inspection-class and work-class ROVs, AUVs and small surface craft, so the company is a key sensor supplier to the marine-robotics industry rather than a vehicle builder.
Oculus is Blueprint's family of forward-looking 2D multibeam imaging sonars. It is offered as the M-Series (single- and dual-frequency models, rated to 500 m), the MT-Series (titanium housing, 1,000 m) and the MD-Series (titanium housing, 4,000 m). Across the range, operating frequencies run from 375 kHz to 3.0 MHz, with ranges from 0.1 m to 200 m, a 130 by 20 degree aperture, angular resolution down to 0.25 degrees, range resolution down to 2 mm and update rates of up to 40 Hz. Models such as the M370s, M750d and M1200d are common payloads on small ROVs. Blue Robotics users, for example, integrate the Oculus M370d and M750d on the BlueROV2. Blueprint describes the series as suitable for anything from small inspection-class ROVs to larger work-class vehicles, for navigation, obstacle avoidance and target identification in low-visibility water.
SeaTrac is a range of micro-USBL tracking beacons and acoustic data modems that use broadband spread-spectrum signalling. A SeaTrac system pairs an X150 USBL beacon with either an X110 transponder (2,000 m depth rating) or the lightweight X010 transponder (300 m), with an operating range of up to 1,000 m. The beacons can track several assets at once and exchange data in both directions, and they report depth, temperature, attitude and supply voltage. They are used to position ROVs, AUVs, towed bodies and divers and to provide low-rate telemetry to small uncrewed vehicles.
StarFish is a CHIRP sidescan sonar line for shallow-water survey, search and recovery. It includes towed systems (the 450 kHz StarFish 452F PRO and the 1 MHz StarFish 990F XD), a 1 MHz hull-mounted StarFish 992H, and OEM modules for vehicle integration (the 450 kHz StarFish 454 OEM and 1 MHz StarFish 992 OEM, with OEM systems rated to 2,000 m). The towed units run from a laptop over USB and are designed to be deployed by one person.
For divers, Blueprint offers the Artemis handheld diver sonar and navigator, which combines GPS navigation with target-detection sonar. Industry profiles say the Artemis PRO adds a Doppler velocity log, camera and acoustic positioning, and list explosive ordnance disposal and naval mine clearance among its uses. SeaTrac can also track Artemis-equipped divers.
Blueprint's applications include port and harbour surveys, wreck location, search and recovery, ROV and AUV navigation and telemetry, seabed asset location, and defence diving. In January 2025 Blueprint Subsea and its long-time partner SUEX Srl, an Italian maker of diver propulsion vehicles, moved into a new privately owned holding company, AION Group. The four founders of the two companies own AION outright. The partners said joint defence projects now make up a large share of both companies' revenue. Blueprint continues to trade separately as an autonomous business unit under its existing management.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact Blueprint Design Engineering Ltd (Blueprint Subsea)
WEBSITE
https://www.blueprintsubsea.com/PHONE
+44 1539 531536HEADQUARTERS
United Kingdom
Company Facts
Founded
2006
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Subsidiary / Acquired
Funding Total
-
Keywords
- Blueprint Design Engineering Ltd (Blueprint Subsea)
- Oculus multibeam imaging sonar
- SeaTrac micro-USBL
- StarFish sidescan sonar
- Artemis diver navigation
- acoustic modem
- CHIRP sonar
- ROV payload
- diver tracking
- Manufacturer
- Component Supplier
- Perception & Vision
- Navigation & Positioning
- Connectivity
- Oil
- Gas & Energy
- Defense & Security
- Education & Research
