What are Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV)?

Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV)

An unmanned surface vehicle, unmanned surface vessel or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), colloquially called a drone boat, drone ship or sea drone, is a boat or ship that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs operate with various levels of autonomy, from remote control to fully autonomous surface vehicles (ASV).

How do they work?

There is no single design for a USV. A USV may be purchased commercially “off the shelf” or custom-built. It may resemble a conventional vessel, motorboat, sailboat, spaceship, surfboard, or even a large bathtub toy. Ultimately, its form and other characteristics will depend on its function. What does it need to do?

What types of USVs are there?

USVs can transport cargo from A to B or provide a service, such as collecting data or inspecting, repairing, and maintaining.

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS)

At first glance, USVs that transport cargo resemble conventional cargo vessels, often called Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). Since these vessels are of traditional size, they must comply with international standards and conventions imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other regulatory bodies, such as class and flag state.

MV Yara Birkeland
MV Yara Birkeland is an autonomous 120 TEU container ship carrying fertilizer between ports at Herøya and Brevik in Norway.

IMO aims to integrate new and advancing technologies in its regulatory framework – balancing the benefits derived from new and advancing technologies against safety and security concerns, the impact on the environment and international trade facilitation, the potential costs to the industry, and their effects on personnel, both on board and ashore. IMO wants to ensure that the regulatory framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) keeps pace with technological developments that are rapidly evolving.

These vessels are challenged not only by the regulations but also by the inheritance of a long tradition of ship systems designed for human interaction, from engines to communication systems.

Some benefits of uncrewed cargo vessels are that you save the cost of crew rotation and accommodation and reduce the overall energy demand, making it possible to use other renewable energy sources like electricity.

The USVs that provide a service

Uncrewed surface vessels, or USVs, roam the ocean’s surface like vessels, collecting oceanographic and atmospheric data. Some perform repair and maintenance work without a human aboard. Operators at sea or on shore can remotely control USVs or program them to conduct pre-planned missions and make decisions with minimal real-time human input.

Reach Offshore's 24-meter surface vessels (USVs) feature hull-mounted survey sensors and a Work Class Electric ROV.
Reach Offshore’s 24-meter surface vessels (USVs) feature hull-mounted survey sensors and a Work Class Electric ROV.

Since they are not intended to carry any cargo, they are primarily designed and built not to be subject to regulatory requirements.

Where does it need to go? What service shall the USV perform? How long will it take to get the job done? Answering these questions and more will help determine its sensor payload, power, size, and type of propulsion. Today, many USVs and their systems are powered by wind, the sun, the waves, and other forms of renewable energy.

Bigger is not always better

Close collaboration between the USV platform and sensor manufacturers has driven the development of smaller, more energy-efficient sensors. This makes fitting them in smaller, more robust, and more affordable USVs possible. Clients can deploy an armada of data collection vessels (AKA USVs) covering a larger area than they would typically achieve with a conventional ship.

These USVs are typically deployed from a ship or a pier, and some even have their own deployment systems. They may operate with a boat, on their own, or with other USVs. Or, they may work with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), collecting related data and providing their subsea counterparts with navigational support, instructions, and communications links that enable real-time communications, monitoring, and data sharing. Some even serve as mobile docking, data transfer, and recharge stations for other uncrewed systems.

What happens next?

In addition to communications and navigation instruments, USVs can be equipped with many of the same sensors as ships, AUVs, and ROVs. Sensors collect data about the environments above and below the ocean’s surface, often sending them to ship and shore via satellite in real-time. Oceanographic data include bathymetry, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, currents, wave height and periods, and sound. Atmospheric data include air temperature, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. USVs may also carry cameras to capture video, still imagery, and systems to collect water samples.

Why are they important?

Given their flexibility, a USV’s sensor payload can be configured to meet several simultaneous objectives. Data collected by USVs contribute to scientific knowledge, resource management and protection, maritime safety, climate monitoring, weather forecasting, emergency response, homeland security, the offshore energy and telecommunications industries, and more. More specifically, USVs are used to map the seafloor, water column, and marine habitats; conduct marine mammal and fishery stock assessments; monitor water and air quality; improve habitat suitability, hurricane forecast, and storm surge models; locate maritime heritage resources; and detect marine debris, oil spills, harmful substances, and illegal activities.

USVs are also starting to be used for purposes other than data collection, including as cargo “ships” and passenger ferries.

USVs are quickly becoming a favoured tool in the ocean science toolbox, and their capabilities are rapidly advancing. In general, USVs are more efficient than traditional ship-based operations. They’re cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and safer (since people don’t have to go to sea).

In addition, they can access remote and hazardous places, advance AUV and ROV operations, and be deployable from almost anywhere. Also, USVs powered by renewable energy can operate for long periods. Nevertheless, USVs won’t replace ships, people, AUVs, or ROVs. Instead, they will be used with them, balancing the strengths and weaknesses of each to increase the scope, scale, and pace of data collection.