Case Study: OpenROV achieves reliable underwater drone updates with balena

OpenROV, Deploying Docker Containers to Underwater Drones With Balena.io

OpenROV builds low-cost underwater drones that let people explore beneath the surface, including its open-source Trident kit. The team needed a reliable way to update software in the field without bricking devices, and they wanted an approach built around Docker containers that would also run on ARM processors. They turned to Balena after considering a DIY solution, so they could avoid spending limited development time on deployment infrastructure.

Balena provided the container-based update and deployment platform OpenROV needed, giving the team confidence that devices could be updated safely and reliably in the future. As a result, OpenROV could focus on building new features for underwater exploration instead of maintaining its own update system. While the case study doesn’t cite a specific numerical metric, it highlights improved deployment confidence and faster product development thanks to Balena.

OpenROV

Brian Adams

VP of Software Development