First in Japan: Domestic Long-Endurance USV Successfully Demonstrates Automatic Retrieval Using Multi-Sensor Spatial Recognition

Oceanic Constellations (hereinafter "the Company") is pleased to announce that on June 4, 2026, we successfully demonstrated the automatic retrieval function for our Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). This demonstration marks the first instance in Japan where a domestically produced long-endurance USV has achieved automatic docking into a launcher using only its onboard autonomous navigation functions, including image recognition, without requiring human operation or cooperative equipment such as markers on the launcher. This is a significant achievement based on our research.

Overview of the Demonstration

In this demonstration, the USV, navigating autonomously at sea, precisely grasped its position and attitude relative to the retrieval launcher by integrating information from multiple sensors, including its own cameras. It then completed a series of operations, from path planning to approach and docking, entirely autonomously, without remote control from land or a mother ship. A key feature is that no cooperative guidance equipment such as AR/QR markers, acoustic beacons, or magnetic guides were installed on the launcher side. The retrieval was achieved solely through the USV's onboard sensors, recognition algorithms, and autonomous navigation control. The demonstration was conducted under realistic sea conditions, with the provision of expertise and facilities from the shipbuilding and outfitting site of Keihin Dock.

Scene of automatic docking to the retrieval launcher by USV and sensor-integrated recognition

Significance of this Demonstration

Our envisioned USV constellation is based on the premise of continuously operating a large number of USVs at sea for extended periods in the future. In such operations, manually retrieving, maintaining, and redeploying each unit would be impractical from the perspectives of personnel, cost, and safety. Therefore, automatic retrieval is positioned as an essential function for enabling continuous service operation. Achieving retrieval without cooperative equipment on the launcher side, relying solely on the USV's spatial recognition and autonomous navigation, enhances the flexibility of launcher placement and opens up possibilities for deployment at various retrieval bases, including mother ships, offshore platforms, and coastal facilities.

Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of automatic retrieval for a long-endurance USV of this type in Japan. This demonstration allowed us to simultaneously verify and acquire multiple key technologies essential for commercializing our USV constellation, including precise approach control technology in a dynamic offshore environment, recognition technology for identifying and spatially understanding the launcher, and the integrated autonomous navigation control technology. This marks a significant milestone, greatly advancing the maturity of our autonomous navigation capabilities.

Collaboration with Keihin Dock

This demonstration was conducted as part of the collaborative verification aimed at mass production of USVs, which we have been pursuing with Keihin Dock Co., Ltd., a member of the NYK Group. Through our collaboration with Keihin Dock, we have leveraged their expertise and facilities in shipbuilding, repair, and outfitting to advance mass production verification, moving beyond just demonstration units to ensure stable manufacturing, maintenance, and operation of numerous USVs in the future. This automatic retrieval demonstration technically supports the core function of "unmanned retrieval" in the operational phase within the framework of establishing a mass production and operational system. It represents a crucial step towards building a system that handles everything from manufacturing to operation seamlessly.

Future Development

Based on the automatic retrieval technology acquired through this demonstration, we will proceed sequentially with further demonstrations under more challenging sea conditions, simultaneous retrieval of multiple USVs, and deployment onto mother ship-mounted launchers. Concurrently, we will accelerate operational demonstrations in collaboration with end-users and government agencies for use cases such as maritime surveillance, offshore infrastructure maintenance, marine data acquisition, maritime security, and support for offshore space infrastructure, thereby advancing the social implementation of our USV constellation, "Sea Satellite Group®."

Detailed release information can be downloaded from the link below.

d165174-18-bff8172841c6f502de251a15a8cb3110.pdf Keywords: