The Saildrone Explorer is a Research robot developed by Saildrone (United States), launched 2015.
Robo Index
Very strong evidence
7 of 10 signals present
Recomputed nightly from public data. Missing data is skipped, never zero-filled — and rankings are never for sale.
Weighted factors
average of the 7 scored · blanks don't count
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Overview
Saildrone designs and operates uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) capable of providing year-round ocean intelligence. The Explorer class is specifically designed for ocean data collection and is powered by renewable wind and solar energy, operating 24/7/365 without the need for crewed support. These vehicles are capable of withstanding the harshest ocean conditions and have sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles across every ocean on Earth.
Buyer decision signals
Deployments
NOAA, Saildrone Inc.
Viability
Woolpert and Saildrone announce Surveyor deployment for NOAA mapping
Price
raas
Availability
Certifications & autonomy
Specifications
Category: Research- Payload
- 20 kg
- Reach
- 900 mm
- Speed
- 8 m/s
- Weight
- 750 kg
- Battery
- 8,760 h
- Autonomy
- fully autonomous
- Launch year
- 2015
- Price
- Contact for quote
- Status
- active
Company profile
- Funding raised
- $177.0M
- Founded
- 2012
Detailed specifications
Safety & certifications1
- Safety Certification
- Equipped with AIS transceiver, navigation lights, radar reflector, high visibility wing colors, and four onboard cameras.[1]
Other19
- Price Tier
- 150K+
- Applications
- warehouse_transport,security_patrol,visual_inspection,surface_inspection
- Sub Category
- unmanned surface vehicle (USV)
- Api Available
- true
- Max Speed M S
- 4.12
- Pricing Model
- raas
- Fleet Software
- Mission Portal
- Max Fleet Size
- 36
- Model Variants
- Explorer,Surveyor,Spectre
- Company Country
- US
- Navigation Type
- gps
- Deployment Notes
- As of 2022, vehicles have sailed 1,000,000+ nautical miles and spent 25,000+ days at sea.[4]
- Compatible Vision
- smart camera array,digital radar,sub-surface passive acoustics,high-resolution MBES,Innomar SBP
- Industries Served
- defense,oceanography,climate_monitoring,weather_forecasting
- Software Platform
- Mission Portal
- Training Required
- advanced_>5days
- Availability Status
- available
- Countries Available
- US
- Additional Information
- Operates 24/7 for up to 365 continuous days at sea without a support vehicle.,No other platform in the world can collect high-resolution, high-quality scientific data above and below the ocean surface with the endurance of the Saildrone Explorer.,Built for missions where crewed vessels cannot safely or economically operate.,Provides uninterrupted data collection across vast ocean regions—including inside hurricanes—with zero manning burden.
Where to buy
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Company milestones
- Feb 2026PartnershipWoolpert and Saildrone announce Surveyor deployment for NOAA mapping
- Jun 2025DeploymentVoyagers joined NATO Task Force X exercise
- Sep 2023DeploymentVoyager USVs launched for Operation Windward Stack
- Jul 2023DeploymentSaildrone Explorer deployed on Lake Erie for fishery surveys
- 2026Deployment10 Saildrone Explorers deployed for NOAA 2026 hurricane season
- 2025FundingEIFO funding round
- 2025LaunchVoyager USVs in Danish waters
- 2023DeploymentVoyager fleet deployed for U.S. Coast Guard missions
Compare with peers
More by Saildrone
More videos
Saildrone: A Year of Operations by the Numbers
2024 NOAA & Saildrone Hurricane Mission
Saildrone Surveyor: Purpose-built for Long-term, Long-range Autonomous ISR and Deep-ocean Mapping
NOAA/Saildrone 2023 Hurricane Mission
Saildrone 2023 Batcon Mission
Saildrone Fleet Sails Over 1 Million NM & 32,000 Days at Sea!
Frequently asked questions
- Who makes the Saildrone Explorer?
- The Saildrone Explorer is developed by Saildrone, based in United States.
- What type of robot is the Saildrone Explorer?
- The Saildrone Explorer is a Research robot made by Saildrone.
- How much does the Saildrone Explorer cost?
- Pricing for the Saildrone Explorer is not publicly listed — contact Saildrone for a quote.
- When was the Saildrone Explorer launched?
- The Saildrone Explorer was launched in 2015.
Reviews for Saildrone Explorer
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