Gulfport, Mississippi Patent of the Year – 2024/2025
Ocean Aero Inc. has been awarded the 2024/2025 Patent of the Year for innovation in autonomous maritime navigation. Their invention, detailed in U.S. Patent Application No. 20240194078, titled ‘System and method to avoid obstacles in an autonomous unmanned maritime vehicle’, enhances the ability of unmanned vessels to detect and avoid hazards in real time.
This cutting-edge system equips autonomous maritime vehicles with advanced obstacle-detection and decision-making capabilities. The technology allows vessels to identify both static and dynamic objects in their path and adjust their course without human input.
The invention improves mission safety and reliability for oceanographic research, defense operations, and environmental monitoring. It enables autonomous vehicles to operate longer, farther, and in more complex environments with less risk of collision.
At its core, the system combines multiple sensor inputs with real-time data processing to dynamically assess potential threats. If an obstacle is detected, the system calculates an optimized route to avoid it while staying on mission.
Ocean Aero’s innovation pushes the boundaries of what unmanned surface and submersible vehicles can achieve. By increasing navigational autonomy and safety, this patent lays the groundwork for more resilient and intelligent maritime systems across both commercial and government sectors.