The maritime industry is witnessing a significant leap forward in autonomous navigation, thanks to a newly granted patent from Gulfport, Mississippi-based pioneer Ocean Aero, Inc.. Officially issued as U.S. Patent No. 12,664,897, the invention is titled “System and method to avoid obstacles in an autonomous unmanned maritime vehicle.” This breakthrough technology addresses one of the most critical challenges facing long-endurance ocean vessels: the ability to detect and safely navigate around hazards entirely on the edge, without relying on human intervention or continuous high-bandwidth communications.
In recognition of its profound impact on the region’s expanding blue economy, this revolutionary technology has been named the Mississippi State Patent of the Month for July 2026. Developed by inventors Charles Smith, Matthew Kuhn, Jeremy Todter, and Mark Henderson, the system allows autonomous unmanned maritime vehicles (UMVs) to dynamically perceive their surroundings. By calculating precise obstacle distances using pre-stored class dimensions, this homegrown Mississippi innovation provides a robust framework for marine safety and strategic defense applications.
Why the Invention is Highly Innovative
Traditional obstacle avoidance for unmanned maritime vehicles often relies on power-heavy active sensors, such as radar or LiDAR, or requires constant communication streams to send raw footage back to human operators who make the final navigation choices. Ocean Aero’s patented approach shifts the entire operational burden directly to the vessel’s onboard processing unit through a highly efficient vision-based geometric calculation. The system utilizes standard image sensors to capture real-time video frames and identifies objects using an integrated database of predetermined object classes, such as buoys, docks, cranes, or breakwaters.
The true genius of the invention lies in how it computes distance. Once an object is classified, the system accesses a pre-stored mean height value specific to that object class. It then measures the visual height of the object as displayed within the 2D video frame and cross-references it with the known mean height. This geometric analysis allows the onboard processor to determine the exact distance between the UMV and the hazard instantly, without emitting active signals that could compromise stealth or drain the vessel’s batteries. Once the distance is calculated, the system automatically alters the navigational control of the UMV to guide it safely around the obstacle along an adjusted trajectory.
Securing Patent of the Month for July 2026
Winning the Mississippi State Patent of the Month for July 2026 highlights the incredible technological momentum building along the Gulf Coast. Ocean Aero, Inc. relocated its headquarters and advanced manufacturing facilities to the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi, establishing a vital hub for marine drone innovation. Because this patent was officially granted on June 23, 2026, it perfectly encapsulates the state’s dedication to leading the nation in autonomous maritime defense and environmental tracking technologies as the new month begins.
The timing of this recognition coincides with active deployments of Ocean Aero’s Triton platform, which utilizes solar and wind power to traverse extreme ocean environments. By proving that advanced, edge-computed artificial intelligence can be built, tested, and patented directly out of Mississippi, Ocean Aero has solidified the state’s reputation as a leader in the global blue economy. This award celebrates both the technical brilliance of the engineering team and the economic growth their work brings to the local workforce.
U.S. R&D Tax Credit Eligibility and Practical Applications
The practical applications of this patent represent a textbook case for capturing the federal Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 41. To qualify, a company’s activities must pass a rigorous four-part test: they must be technological in nature, look to create a new or improved product or process, eliminate technical uncertainty, and involve a process of experimentation. The engineering hours dedicated to developing the software algorithms that classify marine objects, the iterative testing of video frame resolution against mean-height databases, and the physical integration of the processing units onto solar-powered hulls are all fully qualified research activities. Furthermore, any prototype manufacturing, marine simulation testing, and environmental field trials conducted by software engineers and marine technicians at the Gulfport facilities represent qualified expenses. By documenting these design cycles and the systematic evaluation of alternative navigational models, Ocean Aero can leverage substantial tax credits to reinvest directly into their next generation of autonomous maritime technologies.
