EXO‑01 · BIUTOPIC × La Mutine
The modular
nautical exoskeleton.
EXO‑01 is a reversible external structure designed to convert existing boats — and, in time, larger ones — into electric, instrumented platforms. It is meant to be installed from the outside: no modification to the hull, no need to lift the boat out of the water. EXO‑01 is the demonstrator; the next aim, EXO‑02, is inland freight, then the sea.
In build Prototype under fabrication in La Mutine's workshop since 07/2026.
Concept
Rather than building new, EXO‑01 equips what already exists: an X-braced structure on floats, assembled and dismantled at will, designed to couple to the hull without modifying it — the attachment method is still being chosen, studied in simulation and to be removable. 4.95 × 4.55 m, 2.70 m high above the floats. First public outings aimed for from March 2027, after DDTM validation.
Plate · Symbiosis 01 · Pagurus & Calliactis
Some hermit crabs fix sea anemones onto their shell: the anemones protect them, the crabs carry them — and when they change shells, they take them along.
EXO‑01 is designed the same way: a structure meant to settle onto an existing hull, bring it energy and new capacities, and stay reversible.
Intended architecture · Envisaged functions
Assistance and stabilisation: subject to technical validation, operating limits and crew training.
- 01 Solar panels
Renewable energy while underway and at mooring.
- 02 Batteries
Storage for propulsion and scientific instruments.
- 03 Electric drivetrain
Electric propulsion and navigation assistance.
- 04 Onboard electronics
Planned transfer of the HYDRO‑01 robotics stack (ArduPilot, ROS 2, Jetson-based perception).
- 05 Lateral stability floats
Intended to improve stability during sampling or under heavy instrument loads, subject to validation.
- 06 Scientific instruments
Swappable sensors, samplers and analysers to match each protocol — including a hydrocyclone to concentrate microplastics before analysis.
Simulation
Design sketchbooks
Tracing-paper sketches by Arpi Mangasaryan, architect: an alternative version of EXO‑01 studied in her thesis, which we use as advice.
Timeline
From spec to launch.
-
01 · Early April → mid-April Done
- Project kickoff
- Drafting & sign-off of the technical specification
-
02 · Mid-April → mid-May Done
- Design · 3D modelling
- Construction drawings
- Hardware sourcing
-
03 · Mid-May → end of May Done
- Simulation · engineering-office submission
- Fabrication drawings
- Raw-material order
-
04 · Since July In progress
- Workshop fabrication — about 90 %
- Waiting for a berth
-
05 · Next Upcoming
- Engineering-office sign-off (in progress)
- Flotation and on-water tests
- Delivery
- Final assembly — awaiting mooring permit (AOT)
Build partner
La Mutine
EXO‑01 is designed by BIUTOPIC and built with La Mutine, a fabrication workshop in Nantes.
- BIUTOPIC · Design
- Elven Villecourt Founder · project lead
- Arpi Mangasaryan Architect · reference and advice (thesis on EXO-01)
- La Mutine · Fabrication
- Antoine Metalwork, 3D & prototyping
- Maxime Metalwork, 3D & prototyping
Founded in 2011, La Mutine is a craft laboratory for metalwork and bespoke construction: scenography, staircases and architectural structures, furniture, monumental artworks, installations in public space.
There, Antoine and Maxime put metalwork to the service of one-off pieces — and now of a nautical platform. The workshop is a member of Factotum, the Nantes collective for artistic production.
- 05/2026 Assembly drawn Assembly plate established with La Mutine: elevations, plan, isometric view.
- 07/2026 Build Aluminium chassis, corner plates and frames — in La Mutine's workshop.
- Next First trials Launching the structure and validating it function by function.
Frequently asked questions
What are EXO and EXO-01?
EXO is the retrofit system BIUTOPIC is developing into a replicable product. EXO-01 is its first demonstrator, designed by BIUTOPIC and built with La Mutine in Nantes.
What is EXO designed to do?
Add electric propulsion, solar energy, sensors and mission equipment to an existing boat, from the outside, without modifying the hull or lifting the boat out of the water, and be removable. Design objectives, not yet verified on the water.
What does "reversible" mean?
The structure is designed to couple to the hull without modifying it, and to be removed. The attachment method is still being chosen; it is one of the questions studied in simulation.
Which boats could it fit?
Barges and flat-bottomed hulls of about 6 to 15 m: a design target, not a validated range. First host boat: L'Hydronaute, a Renaud 8000 (1987), 8.00 × 2.98 m.
What are EXO-01's design specifications?
Frame 4.95 × 4.55 m, 2.70 m above the floats, on 6 Flofiz floats (1.60 m × Ø 0.60 m); 2 Rim Drive Technology POD 5.0 pods of 5 kW; 4 DualSun 500 W panels (2 kWp); 2 Dyness batteries, 32.1 kWh. Design values, not measured performance.
What is done, and what is not?
| Milestone | Status |
|---|---|
| Assembly designed with La Mutine | Done, 05/2026 |
| Aluminium structure | About 90 % done; waiting for a berth to assemble |
| Engineering-office review | In progress |
| Simulation study (exo01-sim v1.2, exploratory) | Published → |
| DDTM validation and operating approval | Not yet obtained |
| On-water tests | Next |
| First public outings | Aimed from March 2027 |
| Measured stability, propulsion and installation time | Not yet available |
Can I buy or order EXO?
No. There is no price list, order or deposit. For a pilot or partnership: hydronaute@biutopic.com
Is L'Hydronaute in service?
No. It is in preparation, subject to mooring authorisation, insurance and technical validation.
How does HYDRO-01 relate to EXO?
HYDRO-01 is a separate compact platform, tested at sea in the Faroe Islands in 2026. Its robotics stack (ArduPilot, ROS 2, Jetson) is planned for EXO, not yet installed.
What comes next?
EXO-02, aimed at inland freight, then the sea.
Technology in service of the living world — lightweight, sober, reproducible.