The students of the Master MIR went to the Chantiers Navals de La Ciotat for a visit of the company iXblue during the first semester 2022. In the midst of prestigious yachts being maintained are the premises of iXblue, a high-tech company recognised worldwide for its advanced solutions in navigation, maritime autonomy and photonics, for the civil, space and defence sectors. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in France. It now has nearly 750 employees and exports to more than 60 countries.
The students had the opportunity to discover iXblue’s technologies that enable them to meet challenges in harsh environments, from the bottom of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space. They then took part in specific workshops in Underwater Acoustic Positioning Solutions and were able to carry out their own manipulations with underwater acoustic sensors/sonars. The students were exposed to technologies in the fields of Subsea Positioning: Inertial Navigation for Subsea Operations, Underwater USBL & LBL acoustic positioning solutions, Subsea Positioning Software and Acoustic Releases. Finally, they were able to visit the docks and see the latest generation of uncrewed surface vehicles equipped with a variety of applications (including high speed communications, fibers-based sensors, quantum technologies).
