Operative Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs): A Review of Market-Ready Solutions

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) have emerged as key enablers of autonomous maritime operations, offering innovative solutions across multiple industries, including defense, oceanography, offshore energy, and logistics. This review examines the current state of operative USVs, analyzing their techno...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Emerson Martins de Andrade, Joel Sena Sales, Antonio Carlos Fernandes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Automation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4052/6/2/17
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Summary:Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) have emerged as key enablers of autonomous maritime operations, offering innovative solutions across multiple industries, including defense, oceanography, offshore energy, and logistics. This review examines the current state of operative USVs, analyzing their technological evolution, design characteristics, and applications. The study highlights trends in autonomy, propulsion, endurance, and communication technologies, providing insights based on market-ready platforms. While USVs present significant advantages in terms of efficiency and operational safety, challenges such as regulatory constraints, cybersecurity risks, and limitations in autonomous decision-making persist. This paper aims to update researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders on the technological advancements and emerging trends shaping the future of unmanned vehicles.
ISSN:2673-4052