Boeing to Acquire Liquid Robotics, Maker of Autonomous Maritime Vehicle 'Wave Glider'

Boeing (NYSE: BA) has agreed to purchase Sunnyvale, Calif.-based autonomous maritime vehicle manufacturer Liquid Robotics for an undisclosed sum in the airplane maker’s strategy to create new information services functions between the ocean and space.

Boeing said Tuesday its acquisition of the company behind the Wave Glider ocean surface robot also aims to continue a partnership between both companies that started in 2014 on an updated version of the autonomous vehicle.

Chicago-based Boeing’s move to buy Liquid Robotics comes approximately 10 months after fellow defense contractor General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced its buy of unmanned undersea vehicle manufacturer Bluefin Robotics to add new autonomous technology manufacturing skills in support of U.S. Navy programs.

Leanne Caret, CEO of Boeing’s defense segment, said the acquisition aims to combine Liquid Robotics’ technology products with the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance offerings of Boeing.

Liquid Robotics has approximately 100 employees in Hawaii and California and will become a subsidiary of Boeing upon the deal’s closure with a reporting line to Kory Matthews, vice president of autonomous systems for Boeing’s defense segment.

The companies entered into a teaming agreement in 2014 to integrate Boeing’s sensors with Liquid Robotics’ Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft vehicle to conduct ISR functions with platforms such as satellites, manned and unmanned aircraft and underwater drones.

Liquid Robotics was incorporated in 2007 to help customers in the defense, commercial and science communities carry out data collection functions.

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