Nauticus ToolKITT Pilot Assist is designed to assist the pilot of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) but not replace the pilot. It helps hold the vehicle steady, compensates for currents, and supports waypoint navigation while the ROV remains under operator supervision. By assisting with routine vehicle-positioning tasks, Pilot Assist is designed to reduce pilot workload and improve consistency during offshore operations, thereby bringing in project time savings and improving margins.
The commercial proposition is “retrofit rather than replace.” Nauticus ToolKITT layers autonomy onto the vehicles operators already own and have deployed. This means an operator can add autonomous capability without buying new vehicles or replacing the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) control system. Nauticus ToolKITT is designed to integrate with the vehicle manufacturer’s existing software, handling autonomous functions while the OEM system retains manual control and vehicle diagnostics.
These capabilities, which are available today, address routine tasks that can require sustained pilot attention, particularly holding position and maintaining control in currents. For operators, the potential benefit is more consistent vehicle behavior and reduced manual input during repetitive navigation and positioning tasks, while the pilot remains responsible for supervising the vehicle and the work.
The software has been commercially demonstrated on Nauticus platforms for several years and was integrated onto multiple third-party vehicles. Today, Nauticus has used the software on commercial customer operations where it has improved vehicle operating efficiency by greater than 20 percent and reduced pilot workload. Nauticus is offering the software on a subscription license, supported by an onboard sensor and topside compute package as an integration service.
The initial target market includes operators running work-class and observation-class vehicles that lack navigational autonomy. Adding capability such as Pilot Assist and waypoint navigation to those vehicles allows an operator to make difficult piloting situations much easier, widens the scope of work on which the vehicles can operate, reduces dependence on a shrinking pool of experienced pilots, and can bring in project time savings.
Nauticus is marketing the software across offshore energy, offshore wind, subsea telecommunications, defense, and to operators and vehicle manufacturers seeking to offer autonomy without building a vehicle control stack of their own.
Dr. Kjerstin “Kj” Easton, Vice President of Autonomous Software at Nauticus, stated, “We built Nauticus ToolKITT because nothing on the market could do what our vehicles needed to do. It has been proving itself in the water for years on our own platforms. This software release is intentionally focused on practical functions that ROV pilots use every day. Our autonomy solutions can reduce routine and repetitive piloting while keeping the operator in a supervisory role. The pilot remains responsible for the mission, while the software assists with positioning and navigation.”
“Operators are short of experienced pilots and under pressure on price, and most of them are not in a position to replace their fleets,” said John Gibson, President and CEO of Nauticus. “Nauticus ToolKITT gives them a way to modernize the vehicles they already run. That is a much easier conversation than selling a new platform, and it is why we think this is the fastest route to a recurring revenue base.”
Nauticus ToolKITT with the Pilot Assist module is available now. Operators, vehicle manufacturers, and program offices can request a capability briefing or an evaluation at https://www.nauticusrobotics.com/.
