The US Coast Guard Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support coast guard missions on the Great Lakes from May to October of this year.
The drones are wind- and solar-powered vessels that the coast guard will use to monitor the Great Lakes, gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity, and keep maritime borders safe.
The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence and monitored continuously by human operators who can take manual control if needed.
The US Department of War said the drones are also equipped with sensors focused solely on maritime domain awareness, providing critical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or engaged in illegal operations.
The US Navy has also deployed examples of wind- and solar-powered drones manufactured by Alameda, California-based unmanned systems specialist Saildrone. The navy drones are being used for maritime domain awareness and ocean mapping missions.