Search & Rescue
Deliver flotation, locate the victim and guide the rescue team live.
Meer wetenOur mission: 50 autonomous sea drones on the North Sea. 100% Dutch.
The smartest autonomous sea drones. One human in the loop.
We're building towards a permanent network of unmanned autonomous sea drones that guards, rescues, inspects and supplies the North Sea. Autonomous where it can, with a human in the loop where it must. Level 2: the system advises, the operator decides. We start today with the brain, in existing boats.
A smart network of autonomous sea drones for the North Sea
Dutch USV Technologies is building towards a permanent network of sea drones and water drones on the North Sea: unmanned vessels (USVs) that sail autonomously and are continuously present together. The intelligence sits in the brain on board. One operator oversees the whole swarm, because no network sails without a human in the loop.
That brain is our foundation, and as far as we're concerned the smartest on the water. Instead of buying a complete fleet, you connect existing boats to our software and hardware module: that turns every boat into an affordable, smart sea drone. Built for the real sea, resistant to waves, current and salt. With Level 2 autonomy the system detects obstacles and advises, while the operator always decides. Deployable for search & rescue, inspection & survey, workboat tasks and defence.
Why us
Designed by sailors, built for the real sea
Built by sailors
Our founder sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. That lesson, the sea decides and you don't, is in every choice we make.
Mass over premium
We believe in coverage over specification. Five drones for the price of one competitor, so the whole sea gets safer, not just the part with the biggest budget.
100% Dutch
Designed, built and supported in the Netherlands. This is where we build world-class maritime autonomy.
One network, many tasks
One network, four areas of deployment
A network of sea drones moves with the task of the moment: from rescue operations on the North Sea to autonomous inspection, workboat tasks and defence. The same brain, the same drones, changing missions. The operator steers, the network executes.
Inspection & Survey
Quay inspection, bathymetric depth measurement and water-quality monitoring. 24/7, electric.
Meer wetenWorkboat
Autonomous light transport, towing assistance and offshore support without a crew on board.
Meer wetenDefence & Surveillance
Autonomous surveillance, reconnaissance and coastguard support. Eyes on the water, no people in the danger zone.
Meer wetenThe brain
It's all about the brain
The smart part isn't in the hull, it's in the brain: the sensor fusion, AI decision module, navigation and open interface. You connect it to a boat you already have, or we help you find a suitable hull. That's how we make autonomy affordable and scalable.
Like driver-assistance systems in a car: the system helps, the human steers. That's Level 2 autonomy, and as far as we're concerned the basis for the future of sailing.
And it scales: every drone runs on the same brain, while one operator oversees the whole network. That's how you keep fifty autonomous sea drones manageable, with a human in the loop.
Read more about the technology →Camera
Radar
Sonar
AIS / GPS
Sensors (input)
The brain
- Sensor fusion
- AI decision module
- Navigation engine
- Communication
Open interface: API
Hardware connectors
Advice → operator (tablet / laptop)
Output
How it works
From your boat to an autonomous sea drone
You don't need a new fleet. You start with the boat you already have.
- 1
Choose the vessel
New or existing, your hull or one from a shipbuilder we work with. Almost any boat works.
- 2
We build the brain into it
Sensors, software and the open interface. We think along about the integration, from first test to ready to sail.
- 3
You sail autonomously
The operator steers from a tablet or from shore. The system watches, computes and advises. Level 2: you stay in control.
Where we stand now
Our brain already sails, autonomously in simulation
What we have now
An autonomy brain that sails, watches and decides at Level 2 in our simulation. You can try it yourself.
Try the simulation →What we're looking for
Partners to get the first sea drones onto the water: rescue services, ports and shipbuilders. Think along, and we build the first vessel together.
Become a pilot partner →The figures on this site are targets from our simulation, not real-world results yet. We'd rather tell you now than later.
Read our route to a network of 50 sea drones →Traction
Building the future with the right partners
- In gesprek met KNRM, Port of Rotterdam en METIP Den Helder
- CODEMO-voorstel ingediend bij het Ministerie van Defensie
- Deelnemer PortXL maritieme accelerator Rotterdam
The organisations named refer to ongoing conversations and submitted proposals; no partnership or endorsement is implied.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about sea drones and water drones
- What is a sea drone?
- A sea drone (also called a water drone or USV, unmanned surface vessel) is an unmanned vessel that sails over the water autonomously or by remote control. It's used for tasks such as search & rescue, inspection, depth measurement and transport, without a crew on board.
- What's the difference between a sea drone and a water drone?
- The terms are used interchangeably. 'Water drone' is the broader term for any unmanned vessel; 'sea drone' emphasises deployment at sea, such as the North Sea. Dutch USV Technologies focuses on sea drones that can withstand waves, current and salt water.
- Do you build the boat or the software?
- We start with the brain: the autonomy system (sensor fusion, AI decision module, navigation and open interface) that fits almost any vessel, new or existing. That turns an existing boat into an autonomous sea drone. In time we'll also develop our own vessels, and if you want a complete solution we'll think along about the boat.
- How does a network of 50 autonomous sea drones stay manageable?
- With a human in the loop. Each sea drone sails autonomously on the same Level 2 brain: it detects obstacles, computes a course and advises. One operator oversees the whole swarm and intervenes where needed. That way the network scales without needing a skipper for every boat, and the final decision always stays with a human.
- Do you already have a working prototype?
- Not yet. Our autonomy brain works in an extensive simulation at Level 2: it detects obstacles, computes a course and advises the operator. The next step is the first vessels on the water, together with pilot partners. The figures on this site are targets from our simulation, not real-world results yet.
- What does Level 2 autonomy mean?
- At Level 2 the system detects obstacles, computes the optimal course and advises the operator. The human sees the advice on a tablet or laptop and always makes the decision. Safety first: the human stays in the loop.
- What are water drones and sea drones used for?
- For four missions: search & rescue (delivering flotation and locating victims), inspection & survey (quay inspection, bathymetric depth measurement and water quality), workboat tasks (light transport, towing assistance and offshore support) and defence & surveillance (autonomous reconnaissance, monitoring and coastguard support).
- Are your sea drones developed in the Netherlands?
- Yes. Dutch USV Technologies designs, builds and supports the autonomy system 100% from the Netherlands, for deployment on the North Sea among others.
Contact
Join our mission
Rescue service, port, shipbuilder or investor? Tell us about your situation and we'll think along. We reply within 2 working days.