Maridan A/S from Hoersholm (Denmark) developed and successfully tested in real conditions an advanced commercial model of the autonomous mini-submarine, which under extremely difficult conditions found a downed helicopter in Arresoe Lake’s murky waters during the last week of October. The little yellow submarine "M600", is designed to execute tasks in depths down to 600 meters, where it can operate completely autonomously.

The submarine, which is equipped for advanced data collection and communication, can be outfitted with a full suite of sonar system and cameras. It is claimed to be the only vehicle of its kind that can operate completely autonomously, without the use of radio or cable connections to a support vessel on the surface. For instance, it can be programmed to follow a determined pattern. The result minimizes the offshore industry’s costs combined with a maximum level of flexibility.

M600 will now be sent on offshore assignments to survey, among other things, pipelines and platforms. Afterwards, it will periodically be employed in the exploration for diamonds and other precious minerals off of South Africa’s West Coast.The rapidly expanding survey market associated with the numerous Internet and telecommunication cables that continue to span across the world open the big market for other applications.