Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Brett Hobson is a pioneering marine roboticist whose work sits at the intersection of autonomous systems engineering and ocean science. Based at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Hobson has dedicated his career to designing and deploying advanced autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that push the boundaries of oceanographic investigation. His most influential contribution, a hybrid underwater robot for exploring the ocean twilight zone, has garnered over 100 citations and demonstrated how sophisticated robotic platforms can operate at depth while collecting rich, multidisciplinary datasets. Equally significant is his work on coordinated multi-AUV systems for studying the deep chlorophyll maximum — an ecologically vital but remotely inaccessible ocean layer — earning 61 citations and representing a landmark in collaborative marine robotics. Hobson has also advanced simulation tools for accelerating multi-robot mission development, reducing costly field trial iterations. His research on Lagrangian observatories and autonomous targeted sampling has transformed how scientists track ephemeral ocean features and collect microbial samples with precision. Together, his contributions represent a sustained effort to make the ocean's most inaccessible environments scientifically accessible through intelligent, coordinated robotic systems.