Sea Machines

Sea Machines Robotics is a Boston-based company developing autonomous control and navigation systems for the commercial maritime industry. Founded in 2015 by marine engineer Michael G. Johnson, the company was born from his firsthand experience with the challenges of manual vessel control during an oil-spill response in the Arctic. With a degree in marine engineering from Texas A&M University and extensive experience in offshore oil and gas, marine transportation, and vessel salvage, including a significant role in the Costa Concordia wreck recovery project, Johnson identified a critical need for advanced technology in marine operations.

The company targets a wide range of clients, including those in maritime transportation, offshore energy, commercial fishing, and government sectors, providing technology to enhance safety, productivity, and efficiency. Its business model revolves around the sale of hardware and software systems that can be retrofitted onto existing vessels or installed on new builds. Sea Machines has secured significant funding from a diverse group of investors, including Accomplice, Eniac Ventures, Toyota AI Ventures, and Huntington Ingalls Industries, raising over $45 million through multiple funding rounds.

Sea Machines offers a suite of products designed for different operational needs. The SM300 is a vessel intelligence system that provides autonomous command and remote-helm control, allowing for pre-planned missions, multi-waypoint navigation, and obstacle avoidance. The SM200 is a wireless remote-helm control system that enables line-of-sight vessel operation from a secondary location, such as another vessel or from the shore. A key technology is AI-Ris, an AI-powered computer vision and recognition system that enhances situational awareness. In partnership with HamiltonJet, the company also launched JETsense, an intelligent voyage control system that uses AI to manage steering and speed while rerouting to avoid obstacles. A significant milestone was 'The Machine Odyssey' in 2021, where a tugboat equipped with the SM300 autonomously navigated over 1,000 nautical miles, commanded remotely from Boston. The company has also engaged in strategic collaborations, including projects with A.P. Moller-Maersk to trial perception technology on a container ship and a partnership with Rolls-Royce to develop remote command systems.

Keywords: autonomous marine systems, vessel automation, remote vessel control, maritime robotics, unmanned surface vehicles, marine navigation technology, situational awareness systems, computer vision for ships, autonomous shipping, workboat automation, oil spill response technology, commercial vessel technology, marine engineering, Michael G. Johnson, autonomous command and control, remote helm control, AI-powered perception, collision avoidance, maritime safety, vessel efficiency, offshore energy automation, government and defense marine tech, autonomous survey vessels, tugboat automation