Case Study: Bluefin Robotics achieves seamless ECAD–MCAD integration for faster, more accurate AUV design with Altium Designer

Bluefin Robotics is Seeing a Sea Change in E-CAD M-CAD Design Integration with Altium Designer

Bluefin Robotics, a spin‑out from MIT, designs autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for deep‑sea mapping and sensing. Faced with ever smaller, more complex electronics and severe constraints on volume, weight and buoyancy — plus extreme pressure at depth — electrical and mechanical teams were working sequentially, relying on slow cardboard prototypes and frequently running into design discrepancies.

Bluefin upgraded to Altium Designer, using IGES/STEP exchange to enable true ECAD–MCAD co‑design so mechanical and electrical engineers could collaborate in parallel with accurate 3D data. The integrated workflow reduced design clashes and development time while achieving the delicate balance of performance, buoyancy and reliability — enabling the Bluefin‑12 to travel up to 76 miles and map each side to 30 meters.

Bluefin

Richard Wilson

Electrical Engineer Manager