Cellula Robotics, DRDC Collaboration on Long-Endurance AUV Development

Cellula Robotics Ltd. and Defence Research and Development Canada / Recherche et Développement pour la Défense Canada (DRDC/RDDC) are marking continued progress in the development of long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicle capability, reflecting several years of collaboration aimed at advancing practical underwater technology for demanding operating environments.

DRDC/RDDC has maintained a long-term interest in accelerating the development of long-endurance AUVs, and Cellula has been supported through a development contract that has helped mature the underlying capability. The Envoy AUV used in recent endurance testing is owned by DRDC/RDDC.

That progress was recently reflected in a fully submerged endurance demonstration by Cellula's Envoy AUV, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. In a representative underwater mission profile, the vehicle remained on mission for 385 hours and covered 2,023 km submerged, exceeding the platform's published performance specification.

Importantly, the demonstration was not a simple straight-line endurance run. The mission included more than 4,000 turns and maneuvers, each of which increased energy demand compared with steady, linear travel. 

The demonstration was achieved using hydrogen fuel cell technology developed with Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc., and reflects part of a broader effort to mature autonomous subsea systems capable of delivering greater persistence, stronger mission continuity, and more practical offshore performance.

For operators, these improvements matter because endurance is not simply a technical metric. It affects how long a vehicle can remain productive below the surface, how often intervention is required, and how effectively offshore time can be used. Continued progress in this area helps expand what is practical for autonomous subsea systems across defence, survey, scientific, and other mission-driven applications.