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Marine

Marine robotics software

We build the autonomy software for marine robots: navigation and perception for autonomous boats, vessels and ships, tested in simulation before sea trials.

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Test boat in a harbour

What we build for marine

Autonomous navigation for boats and ships

Software that plans and follows routes on the water.

  • Path planning and path following on open water
  • Obstacle avoidance around vessels, buoys and structures
  • Route following tested in simulation first

Perception for marine robots

Sensors turned into a clear picture of what is around the vessel.

  • LiDAR perception that copes with waves and reflections
  • Detection of other vessels, obstacles and shorelines
  • Sensor data combined into one view for the autonomy software

Simulation before sea trials

Maritime simulation to test the boat's software before it goes in the water.

  • Vessel, sensors and harbour modelled in simulation
  • Navigation and perception tested in many conditions
  • Fewer problems found during sea trials

FAQs

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What software does an autonomous boat need?

An autonomous boat needs navigation to plan and follow routes on the water, perception to detect other vessels and obstacles, and simulation to test both before sea trials. Black Coffee Robotics builds this software for surface vessels, including an autonomous ferry running ROS 2 Nav2 adapted for water.

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Can an autonomous vessel be tested in simulation before sea trials?

Yes. Black Coffee Robotics models the vessel, its sensors and the harbour in a maritime simulation and tests navigation and perception there before the boat goes in the water.

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Does LiDAR work on water?

Yes, with extra processing. Water gives noisy, patchy LiDAR returns, so Black Coffee Robotics' perception software first finds the sea surface and then detects vessels, piers and other objects relative to it. It has run on an autonomous ferry and on LiDAR mounted on a cargo ship.

Want to reduce costs and time to market for your autonomous robots?