Overview
A compact, all-electric survey catamaran for lakes, rivers, harbors and other sheltered water, built from modules under 20 kg so it fits in a small van. It runs up to 20 hours on four swappable battery packs and carries up to 30 kg of sonar and sensor payload. The Otter was on Maritime Robotics' website by 2016 and has become a common academic reference vehicle. Thor Fossen's marine-control textbook software includes an Otter model.
- Type
- Swimming robot · Surface & autonomous boats
- Maker
- Maritime Robotics (Norway)
- Released
- 2016
- Price
- Quote only
- Status
- Available
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- No SDK, app / visual programming only
Price and shipping
Price not published. Sold to survey companies, agencies and universities.
Shipping: Quote / lead time. Sold directly by Maritime Robotics and its distributors after a quote. Maritime Robotics ↗
Specifications
| Category | Swimming robots · Surface & autonomous boats |
|---|---|
| Released | 2016 |
| Country | Norway |
| Availability | Available |
| Programmability | No SDK, app / visual programming only |
| Built-in autonomy | Navigates · Goes to places on its own, such as mapped rooms, waypoints or its charging dock |
| LLM support | None · Missions planned in proprietary VCS software, no public API. |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera, Sonar / ultrasonic |
| Actuators | Unknown |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Proprietary / undisclosed |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | 2.0 × 1.08 × 1.07 m, 62 kg dry |
| Propulsion | Catamaran with two electric thrusters |
| Depth rating | Surface only (draft not published) |
| Tether / comms | None, 5 GHz MIMO radio / Wi-Fi, optional MBR, VHF and 4G links |
| Camera | Camera, optional SeaSight 360° situational awareness |
| Sensors | AIS Class B, GNSS, payload bay for multibeam/single-beam sonars and other survey sensors |
| Runtime | Up to 20 h (at 2 kn) |
| Speed | 4.5 kn top speed |
| Compute | Not published |
| SDK | No public SDK, operated through Maritime Robotics' Vehicle Control Station (VCS) software |
Common questions
How much does Otter cost?
Quote only. Price not published. Sold to survey companies, agencies and universities.
Can Otter be bought today?
Yes, it is on sale. Sold directly by Maritime Robotics and its distributors after a quote.
Who makes Otter?
Otter is made by Maritime Robotics (Norway). It came out in 2016.
Can Otter be programmed?
No SDK, app / visual programming only. No public SDK, operated through Maritime Robotics' Vehicle Control Station (VCS) software.
Does Otter have AI chat or LLM support?
None. Missions planned in proprietary VCS software, no public API.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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Image credits
- Image 1: source (Maritime Robotics press image)