Department of Defense Signs Autonomous Amphibious Robot Deal

The U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has awarded a contract to Nauticus Robotics for the development of an autonomous system for its amphibious robot.

The robotics company, known for its designs in deep-sea exploration technologies, was previously awarded a DIU contract in February for the use of its autonomous command and control platform, ToolKITT, in the U.S. Navy’s Defender Mission Specialist remotely operated vehicle systems. These water exploration robots were designed to inspect infrastructure, offer underwater security, and keep divers at a distance from potentially hazardous situations.

ToolKITT uses machine learning to enable autonomous, remote operations underwater and can be applied to detect and remove potential hazards underwater. This has previously been deployed to enable autonomous movement and operation in Nauticus’ flagship deep-sea exploration robot, Aquanaut. 

Under the latest deal, Nauticus will expand the use of its platform in the Navy’s remotely operated vehicle systems to give them more autonomous capabilities. 

“We are thrilled with the additional work the DIU and the U.S. Marine Corps have awarded us to continue providing leading maritime robotics and autonomy solutions to assist the warfighter,” said Ed Tovar, Nauticus director of business development for defense systems. “We are humbled and honored to be doing our part to advance the usage of robotics and autonomous systems to remove servicemembers from harm’s way.”

The Nauticus pipeline also includes Hydronaut, an autonomous or remotely controlled small vessel, and the Olympic Arm, a robotic subsea arm device.