A single destination for timely, editor-curated robotics news from around the world.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a soft underwater robot inspired by feather stars, capable of three-dimensional movement using only two actuators. This innovative design significantly reduces mechanical complexity, as traditional systems typically require six actuators fo...
OpenAI is set to implement invisible watermarks in text generated by ChatGPT and Codex within the European Union. This initiative is in response to the transparency requirements outlined in the EU AI Act. The watermark embeds a hidden statistical signal that can be detected by OpenAI's tools, althou...
Aselsan, Turkey's largest state-linked defense company, is actively seeking collaborations with Japanese firms to develop underwater drones and air defense systems. This initiative comes as regional security threats escalate, prompting Aselsan to expand its presence in Asian markets. The alignment...
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have created a new robotic platform designed to monitor remote waters. This innovative robot mimics the falling motion of a maple seed before landing on water, where it rights itself and begins to sail autonomously using wind en...
China has established a new world record by successfully deploying 116 autonomous underwater drones, known as TH-618s, in a swimming pool without any human intervention. This remarkable feat was certified by Guinness World Records following a demonstration on August 29, where the drones navigated a...
MIT engineers have created a novel swimming robot powered by a single layer of muscle cells. This innovative design, detailed in a paper published on September 28 in Advanced Functional Materials, features a gel skeleton that resembles the size of a stick of gum, with fins made from the gel and cove...
The underwater robotics sector, which has seen minimal activity over the past decade, is experiencing a significant increase in investment. In the first nine months of 2026 alone, 123 financing events were recorded in the marine economy, nearing the total of 125 for all of 2025. This surge is marked...
MIT engineers have unveiled a groundbreaking design for a paper-thin, muscle-powered swimming robot, as detailed in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. This innovative aquabot features a gel film skeleton and live muscle cells that respond to light, enabling it to swim through water by flappi...
Li Zexiang and Yao Qizhi have successfully raised $300 million in funding over the past six months for their venture focused on waterborne intelligent driving technology. This significant investment underscores the growing interest and potential in the development of autonomous systems for aquatic e...
A research team from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has developed a quadruped robot capable of swimming without traditional propulsion systems. Instead, it uses the resistance generated by spherical ends of its legs to maneuver in water, adjusting its roll, pitch, and yaw....
A newly developed robot is designed to inspect diverse terrains such as coastlines, flooded streets, and wetlands. This robot can adapt to various surfaces, including hard ground, banks, curbs, and even open water, all within a short distance. The ability to traverse multiple types of terrain is cr...
Evan Budz, a 15-year-old innovator, created BURT, the Bionic Underwater Robotic Turtle, inspired by a turtle's silent movement in a pond. Unlike traditional underwater drones that use noisy propellers, BURT employs flippers to glide through water without disturbing the environment, making it ideal f...
During the dry season in Florida's Everglades, American alligators excavate water-filled depressions in the limestone bed. These depressions serve as vital habitats, concentrating fish, turtles, and wading birds, which are essential for the ecosystem's health. The role of these alligator-created de...
Gongzhi Ocean has announced the completion of nearly 100 million yuan in angel funding, attracting investors such as Zhongxin Zhidi and Lihua Financial. This funding reflects a growing interest in the underwater robotics market, particularly in integrated detection and operational capabilities. The...
On August 11, Anthropic announced that its upcoming Claude models will include a text watermark to signify AI-generated content. This initiative aligns with the European Union's AI Act, which mandates watermarks for AI outputs starting August 2, 2026, to combat misleading AI-generated material. Whil...
Recent advancements in military technology have led to the development of a missile-armed underwater drone that is expected to be quieter and harder to track than traditional submarines. This innovation aims to enhance naval capabilities and improve operational effectiveness in various combat scenar...
A systems integrator has successfully implemented a small PLC retrofit to improve the reliability of aeration systems at a wastewater treatment facility. The project involved upgrading equipment that had been in service since 1996, addressing issues related to sediment build-up that caused operation...
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has confirmed that cyberattacks have targeted over 100 internet-exposed systems in the U.S. water and wastewater sector. This alarming trend highlights the scale of ongoing cyber threats against water providers in states such as Michig...
Purdue University's College of Engineering has developed a new underwater robot that is currently patent-pending. This innovative robot is designed to enhance ocean research, underwater infrastructure inspection, and search-and-rescue operations by adapting to mission requirements in real time. It c...
Saab UK’s Seaeye SR20, an all-electric work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV), has successfully completed a series of inland water trials. These trials were crucial for verifying and validating the vehicle's performance against its specifications, demonstrating its manoeuvrability and stable ope...
The Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) has launched a 31-day expedition aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus to explore the remote Pacific waters surrounding Wake Island. Funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, this mission aims to gather critical baseline data on biodiversity, geology, and maritime he...
A recent study published in the Journal of Field Robotics explores cooperative navigation methods for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in terrain mapping. The research focuses on enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of AUVs when mapping underwater environments through collaborative navigation...
Ultra Maritime demonstrated a new underwater surveillance system during the U.S. Navy’s 2026 Lanternfish exercise. The system integrates the Sea Spear passive sonar with the SSQ-125B active sonobuoy to enhance detection capabilities for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). This combination allows fo...
Shenhai Zhiren, a Guangzhou-based deep-sea robotics company, has successfully raised 500 million yuan in a Series A funding round. New investors include GGV Capital and a fund backed by TotalEnergies, while existing investors such as BYD and Lightspeed China also participated in the round. This fun...
A research team from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has developed an innovative AI model that enables underwater companion robots to monitor divers' breathing rates in real-time by analyzing the bubbles they exhale. This groundbreaking study, published in the International Journal of Roboti...
Raytheon and Composite Energy Technologies (CET) have successfully demonstrated the underwater launch capability of the HADALUS unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) during a recent U.S. Navy exercise. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first time the Navy has observed this integrated capabil...
Anthropic has announced plans to introduce machine-readable watermarks on text generated by its Claude models starting August 2, 2026. This initiative aligns with the transparency requirements set forth in Article 50 of the EU AI Act, as the company has also signed the European Union’s Code of Pract...
Saronic has expanded its operations to Gulfport, Mississippi, where it has set up a site for on-water testing of its Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV), Marauder, at the Port of Gulfport. This facility will support the testing and commissioning of the 180 ft. autonomous ships as they transition f...
Chinese military researchers have issued a warning regarding the heightened vulnerability of the global network of undersea internet cables to attacks from inexpensive underwater drones. In an article published in Science and Technology Daily, they emphasized that advancements in uncrewed underwater...
Fugro Survey India Pvt. Ltd. has been awarded a three-year contract by Vantage International Management Company to provide ROV-based deepwater drill support services for ONGC’s offshore drilling operations in India. This contract involves supporting drilling activities at depths of up to 3,000 meter...
Blue Water Autonomy has been awarded a multiple-award contract by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) to conduct high-resolution ocean floor mapping using its autonomous vessels. This contract, which has a ceiling of $40 million, allows Blue Water Autonomy to leverage its technology for deep...
Researchers at Pusan National University have developed a multifunctional hydrogel membrane that effectively removes over 99.99% of oil from contaminated seawater while facilitating solar-driven desalination. This innovative membrane features a unique 'Janus' architecture, allowing one side to block...
RTsys Underwater Technologies, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) have announced the operational deployment of COMET-MCM autonomous underwater vehicles. These drones are designed to detect and identify naval mines, marking a significant advancement i...
The United States Coast Guard is enhancing maritime security by exploring advanced technologies aimed at detecting and neutralizing underwater drones. As these unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) become more sophisticated, they pose significant threats to critical maritime assets, including ports an...
An innovative underwater robot has been developed to detect diver stress in real time by monitoring exhaled bubbles. This technology aims to enhance safety measures for divers, providing immediate feedback on their physiological state during underwater operations. The significance of this developme...
The Coast Guard has announced its search for technology capable of defeating unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). According to a recent notice, there are currently limited solutions that have been tested and fielded to address this challenge. This initiative is significant as the rise of UUVs poses...
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have created an innovative AI system enabling underwater companion robots to monitor divers' health. This system tracks diver stress levels by analyzing exhaled bubbles in real time, marking a significant advancement in underwater safety technol...
Researchers at the Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society and Stevens Institute of Technology have developed QuadBoat, a four-legged robotic boat designed to track and retrieve individuals from water. Unlike traditional unmanned surface vehicles, QuadBoat can physical...
Rescue teams in coastal areas frequently face the challenge of saving individuals at risk of drowning. These critical operations demand rapid response times, as delays can lead to severe or fatal outcomes for those in distress. The development of a spider-inspired robotic boat aims to enhance the e...
Recent research published in the Journal of Field Robotics explores a novel approach to formation control for underwater swarms. The study focuses on utilizing relative visual feedback to enhance obstacle avoidance capabilities, significantly improving the operational efficiency of underwater roboti...
A lightweight underwater robotic arm has been developed for the automatic sampling of seafloor hydrothermal fluids, as reported in the Journal of Field Robotics. This innovation is significant as it enhances the efficiency and accuracy of fluid sampling in challenging underwater environments, which...
Recent advancements in monocular visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) have been applied to underwater bionic robotic fish. This approach integrates image enhancement techniques with deep feature matching to improve the robustness of navigation and mapping in aquatic environments. The...
The Journal of Field Robotics published a review focusing on intelligent operation and maintenance robots designed for urban water supply networks. This review highlights the current advancements in robotic technologies that enhance the efficiency and reliability of water supply systems. The signif...
Blue Water Autonomy and Saildrone have initiated legal action against the U.S. Navy, asserting that their submissions met the requirements for the new MUSV marketplace. The lawsuits highlight the companies' contention that their proposals were compliant with the Navy's specifications, which is cruci...
The Journal of Field Robotics has published an early view article discussing the challenges of online localization for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in the presence of current disturbances. This research highlights the difficulties faced by AUVs when global references are not available, whic...
A recent review published in the Journal of Field Robotics examines the design and technologies behind underwater grippers for dexterous manipulation. These grippers are essential for various underwater applications, including marine research and exploration, where precise handling of objects is cru...
The Journal of Field Robotics has published an early view article that provides a structured review of surface water cleaning robots. This review highlights various technologies employed in the development of these robots, as well as the implementation challenges faced in real-world applications. U...
A team from MIT, along with collaborators from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, KU Leuven, and Politecnico di Milano, has developed a fleet of eight modular robot boats capable of transforming and navigating water autonomously. Each boat measures 21 cm on each side and can connect to form larger...
MFE Offshore, based in Houston, has announced its partnership with Swiss robotics developer Hydromea to distribute the Hydromea EXRAY underwater inspection ROV. This agreement, made public on July 9, 2026, enhances MFE Offshore's subsea portfolio, which was launched earlier this year. The EXRAY offe...
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Waseda University in Japan have developed a unique application for cyborg Madagascar hissing cockroaches. By outfitting these insects with miniature diving suits, they can now navigate underwater for up to three hours, providing inno...
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