Naval Postgraduate School Orders OPT WAM-V 8 for Autonomous Coastal Research

8 October 2026
Edited By: Haley McQueen

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT), a leader in maritime operational infrastructure and autonomous ocean systems, has announced an order from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) for a WAM-V® 8 maritime drone.

(Image credit: OPT)

Researchers from the NPS Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education & Research (CRUSER) plan to use the WAM-V 8 as a mobile platform for littoral sensing and autonomous-systems research, including the integration of atmospheric and electro-optical instrumentation. The compact platform’s modular payload architecture and shallow draft allow researchers to configure and deploy specialized sensors in coastal operating environments. The order expands an established relationship between OPT and NPS. Their previous work has included an OPT PowerBuoy® deployed in Monterey Bay to support oceanographic, meteorological, communications, and maritime-sensing research. The WAM-V 8 adds a mobile research asset alongside that persistent sensing infrastructure.

Recent field operations have also demonstrated the WAM-V 8’s ability to perform work in demanding coastal conditions. At REPMUS 2026, the platform delivered bathymetric survey data in amphibious surf zones and was launched from shore ahead of amphibious operations. During a separate evaluation at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Field Research Facility, the WAM-V 8 operated in challenging surf-zone conditions and generated data on sensor performance, vehicle configuration, and deployment methods.

“NPS came to us with a defined research requirement: integrate specialized sensors on a compact autonomous platform for littoral experiments,” said Jason Weed, Chief Operating Officer of OPT. “The WAM-V 8’s modular architecture and demonstrated field performance make it well suited to that work. This order expands a relationship that began with persistent ocean sensing and now adds a mobile element.”

Tracy Pagliara, Acting President and CEO of OPT, stated: “The NPS order extends OPT’s relationship from persistent ocean sensing to mobile autonomous research. It reflects OPT’s role as an enabling maritime infrastructure layer, providing the mobile platform and integration framework designed to accommodate NPS sensors, data collection requirements, and research workflows.”