Global robotics landscape · Family 08
Aerial, marine and underwater systems
One cross-domain map for drones, autonomous surface vessels and underwater vehicles—while keeping their distinct physics, laws and safety cases visible.
FUURAA thesis
Remote and autonomous vehicles are operational systems embedded in airspace or maritime governance, not free-standing AI products.
How to use this page
Move from what it is to how to judge it—without being misled by one specification or demo.
Separate embodiment, sensing, control, tooling and operations.
Open in-depth topic →02WorkRead value through the complete task and environment, not movement alone.
Open in-depth topic →03EvidenceTest claims with repeatable metrics, failures and human intervention.
Open in-depth topic →04BoundaryKeep standards, regulation, site and research-stage limits visible.
Open in-depth topic →System anatomy
A working robot is the result of several engineering layers holding together.
Each layer explains its job and the signal most worth verifying next.
Vehicle and environment
Lift, buoyancy, drag, pressure, weather, currents and corrosion impose domain-specific design limits.
Open in-depth topic →02Navigation and sensing
GNSS, inertial, visual, acoustic and map-based navigation fail differently above, on and below water.
Open in-depth topic →03Command and communications
Link range, latency, coverage, remote control and lost-link behaviour define the supervisory architecture.
Open in-depth topic →04Mission and recovery
Payload data, launch, recovery, remote operations, maintenance and regulatory approval form one mission chain.
Open in-depth topic →Real-work map
Form factor is an entry point; the complete workflow is the unit of value.
These are not capability guarantees; they frame the task boundaries and evidence a reader should seek.
Survey and inspection
Infrastructure, terrain and environmental surveys require calibrated payloads, coverage evidence and repeatable georeferencing.
Open in-depth topic →02Science and monitoring
Persistent observations can extend human reach when sampling design and sensor drift are controlled.
Open in-depth topic →03Transport and delivery
Payload, route approval, handoff, weather, public exposure and contingency landing determine feasibility.
Open in-depth topic →04Remote and autonomous shipping
Commercial ships require mode definitions, human responsibility, remote operations and safety equivalence within maritime law.
Open in-depth topic →Evaluation checklist
Five questions turn product claims into testable deployment judgements.
Procurement, replication, pilot design and policy review should record success, failure and human cost together.
- 01
Operational authorisation
Verify vehicle, operator, route, airspace or waters, mission and jurisdiction in current official records.
Open in-depth topic → - 02
Environmental envelope
State tested wind, visibility, precipitation, sea state, current, depth and temperature.
Open in-depth topic → - 03
Navigation integrity
Measure position error, detection, conflict avoidance and response to corrupted or unavailable signals.
Open in-depth topic → - 04
Lost-link and contingency
Demonstrate safe hold, return, landing, surfacing or shutdown and the authority to trigger it.
Open in-depth topic → - 05
Mission data
Validate coverage, calibration, uncertainty, chain of custody and decision usefulness.
Open in-depth topic →
Scope boundaries
Make explicit what is unknown and what cannot be generalised.
- 01
Rules differ by jurisdiction and operation; one certificate or trial cannot be generalised globally.
Open in-depth topic → - 02
Remote control, supervised autonomy and full autonomy carry different responsibilities and must not be conflated.
Open in-depth topic → - 03
A vehicle completing a route does not establish payload-data validity or safe integration with other traffic.
Open in-depth topic →
Sources and evidence status
Return to the original record before deciding how far a conclusion can travel.
Each source carries a publication or review date, evidence status and the conclusion it cannot support alone.
Commercial small-UAS operator requirements
Explains Part 107 remote-pilot certification and recurrent knowledge requirements for applicable U.S. small-UAS operations.
International MASS Code
Sets a goal-based framework for design, approval and operation, including remote centres, cybersecurity and human oversight.