Overview
The best-known long-endurance ocean drone, a 7 m wind-powered sailboat that stays at sea for a year collecting weather and ocean data. Founded by Richard Jenkins in 2012, Saildrone made its first proof-of-concept ocean crossing in 2014 and has since run NOAA and NASA missions, including an autonomous Antarctic circumnavigation (2019) and hurricane observations. The company has since added the larger Voyager and 20 m Surveyor vehicles and shifted its focus toward defense and maritime surveillance.
- Type
- Swimming robot · Surface & autonomous boats
- Maker
- Saildrone, Inc. (USA)
- Released
- 2014
- Price
- Not for sale
- Status
- Not for sale (research)
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- No programmability
Price and shipping
Offered as a fully managed service (data or mission delivery) rather than a vehicle for sale.
Shipping: Not for sale. Not sold to individuals. Government and commercial customers contract Saildrone for missions or data. Saildrone ↗
Specifications
| Category | Swimming robots · Surface & autonomous boats |
|---|---|
| Released | 2014 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Not for sale (research) |
| Sales | 100 Explorer-class drones built by March 2023, used in-house, not sold Saildrone ↗ |
| Programmability | No programmability |
| Built-in autonomy | Task-level · Carries out multi-step jobs on its own, such as inspections, deliveries or chores |
| LLM support | None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one. |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera |
| Actuators | Other |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Proprietary / undisclosed |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | 7 m long, 5 m wing height, weight not published |
| Propulsion | Wind-powered rigid wing (Saildrone Wing), solar-powered electronics |
| Depth rating | Surface only (2 m draft) |
| Tether / comms | None, satellite communications |
| Camera | Smart camera array |
| Sensors | Wind speed/direction, air temperature/humidity, pressure, sea surface temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, CO2, chlorophyll, wave height/period, ocean currents, seafloor depth, fish biomass, AIS |
| Runtime | 12+ months endurance |
| Speed | 1–3 knots average |
| Compute | Not published |
| SDK | None for vehicle control, data delivered through the Saildrone Mission Portal and API |
Common questions
How much does Saildrone Explorer cost?
Not for sale. Offered as a fully managed service (data or mission delivery) rather than a vehicle for sale.
Can Saildrone Explorer be bought today?
No. It was never sold to the public.
Who makes Saildrone Explorer?
Saildrone Explorer is made by Saildrone, Inc. (USA). It came out in 2014.
Can Saildrone Explorer be programmed?
No programmability. None for vehicle control, data delivered through the Saildrone Mission Portal and API.
Does Saildrone Explorer have AI chat or LLM support?
None. No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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Image credits
- Image 1: source (Public domain, NOAA & Saildrone)