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ties in data interpretation, software and systems engineering, as well as human-machine interaction.

Designing operations, not just vessels

One of the key themes from this year’s Oceanology Inter- national was that scaling USVs is not simply about building larger or more capable vessels, but the need to scale up the as- sociated operational concepts at the same time. This includes understanding how vessels will be deployed, how they interact with other assets, and how risks are managed.

Designing for failure is particularly important at scale. When multiple vessels are operating simultaneously, the ability to gions, this lack of consistency can create challenges. Stan- safely manage faults, whether in sensors, communications or dardized frameworks, protocols, and terminology will be key control systems, becomes even more critical. to enabling wider adoption and smoother integration.

Fail-safe mechanisms, clear intervention protocols, and the Even something as simple as language matters. Referring to ability to bring any vessel into a safe state are essential com- systems as “uncrewed” rather than “autonomous” can in