Saildrone has built an autonomous vessel that runs on renewable energy. And now, it’s mapping unchartered areas of the ocean.
What’s happening:
- Saildrone has successfully mapped parts of the sea floor of the Gulf of Maine in high resolution for the first time ever
Why it matters:
- Using surface vessels that are able to operate without any crew enables the ability to map parts of the ocean that have previously not been explored and unlock new insights into habitat, security and even help discover ocean areas that may be suitable to build offshore wind farms on
- Saildrone’s vessels operate almost entirely from renewable energy sources including wind energy and solar energy, which ensures they produce limited carbon emissions while at sea
By the numbers:
- Saildrone mapped 1,500 nautical miles of the Gulf of Maine
- Since inception, Saildrone has built 140 individual vessels and sailed a total of 1.3M nautical miles
Going deeper:
- Saildrone’s autonomous vessels have also been applied to maritime defense and security missions with the United States Navy, previously assisting a mission to help reduce human smuggling off the coast of Haiti in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard
- Saildrone has multiple notable backers and venture capital investors, including Lux Capital, Social Capital and Crowley Maritime Corporation
The intrigue:
- Autonomous vessels have been beginning to attract meaningful venture capital funding recently, with startups building everything from autonomous vessels for military combat to autonomous commercial cargo ships
