BlueBoat
The BlueBoat is an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) manufactured by Blue Robotics Inc. featuring a foldable dual-hull catamaran design with a mass of approximately 14.5 kg and length of 1.5 m. It is designed for autonomous hydrographic survey, bathymetry, and seafloor mapping missions using GPS waypoint navigation and supports modular payload integration.
Overview and Use Cases
The BlueBoat is an uncrewed surface vessel developed for autonomous marine survey operations. It executes GPS waypoint missions to perform hydrographic surveys, bathymetry mapping, and seafloor characterization without requiring an operator to perform the survey task. The platform has been adopted by multiple research institutions, including the University of Michigan, Heriot-Watt University, and the University of Florida, for autonomous navigation and sensor integration research.
Key Capabilities
- Autonomous GPS waypoint mission execution
- Modular payload integration and deployment
- Real-time sensor data collection and transmission
- Foldable design for portability and transport
- Dual-hull catamaran configuration for stability
Specifications
Physical Characteristics:
- Length: ~1.5 m
- Mass: ~14.5 kg
- Hull configuration: Foldable dual-hull catamaran
- Propulsion: M200 motors
Payload and Sensors:
- Standard payload capacity: 15 kg
- Extended payload capacity: up to 30 kg (Marine Tensor variant)
- Supported payloads: SBES, MBES (Cerulean Surveyor), SSS (Cerulean Omniscan 450), ADCP, water quality probes, magnetometers, Ping sonar altimeter, GoPro camera
Communication:
- Vendor-specified range: ~1 km line-of-sight (WiFi BaseStation); 2 km (Marine Tensor variant)
- Antenna options: Omnidirectional antenna, panel antenna
Power:
- Modular battery configuration: 2–8 battery units
- Solar power capability
Software:
- Operating system: BlueOS
- Autopilot: ArduRover
Applications
The BlueBoat is used for hydrographic survey, bathymetric mapping, seafloor characterization, and multi-sensor oceanographic data collection in research and surveying contexts.
Manufacturer
The BlueBoat is manufactured by Blue Robotics Inc., headquartered in California, USA. The base kit is priced from $4,400.
Related entries
RobotRelay Delivery Robot
The Relay Delivery Robot is an autonomous indoor delivery robot developed by Relay Robotics (formerly known as Savioke), designed primarily for hospitality and healthcare environments. It navigates hotel corridors and hospital hallways independently, rides elevators without human assistance, and delivers guest amenities, medications, linens, and other supplies directly to rooms or designated drop-off points. Relay is one of the most widely deployed service robots in its category, reportedly completing over one million lifetime deliveries with a publicly cited success rate of approximately 99.8%. With a cargo capacity of around 10 gallons, the robot is compact enough to operate in busy public spaces while carrying a meaningful payload of everyday supplies.
2,664 views
RobotSpot
Spot is a four-legged autonomous robot developed by Boston Dynamics, a robotics company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Designed for inspection, security, and data collection in complex or hazardous environments, Spot can navigate stairs, rough terrain, and confined spaces that are inaccessible to wheeled robots. It is commercially available and has been deployed across industries including utilities, oil and gas, construction, and public safety. Spot supports a modular payload system that accommodates thermal cameras, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, lidar units, methane sensors, and other mission-specific hardware. Boston Dynamics also offers the Orbit fleet-management software platform, enabling operators to schedule autonomous inspection routes, aggregate sensor data, and manage multiple Spot units from a central interface. The robot is widely regarded as one of the most capable and commercially mature legged robots on the market.
1,148 views
RobotRealSense Depth Camera D455
The RealSense Depth Camera D455 is a stereoscopic active-infrared depth camera belonging to Intel's D400 series, designed to capture high-fidelity depth data for robotics, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), drones, and computer-vision applications. It features a 95 mm stereo baseline — the widest in the D400 lineup at the time of its introduction — which reportedly enables depth error of under 2% at ranges up to approximately 4 metres. Originally developed under the Intel RealSense brand, the D455 and related products were later spun off as part of an independent RealSense business unit following Intel's restructuring of the division around 2021–2022. The camera is widely adopted in research, industrial automation, and humanoid-robot development owing to its compact USB-powered form factor, open SDK support, and relatively accessible price point.
540 views
Rosie 2.0
The Rosie 2.0 is a commercial-grade autonomous robot vacuum developed by Tailos, designed to handle large-scale floor cleaning in business and institutional environments. It is offered in a two-pack configuration, allowing facilities to deploy multiple units simultaneously for broader coverage and more efficient cleaning cycles. Built to commercial durability standards, the Rosie 2.0 combines intelligent navigation with powerful suction technology to reduce reliance on manual labor and improve facility maintenance consistency. It targets businesses, hospitality venues, retail spaces, and other high-traffic environments where reliable, automated cleaning is a priority.
468 views