Nauticus Robotics Certifies Autonomy Software for Light Work-Class ROVs

Nauticus Robotics has certified and deployed its Nauticus ToolKITT™ autonomy software on two light work-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) acquired through the company's 2025 acquisition of SeaTrepid International.

Following the pool and open-water testing, Nauticus completed its first paid commercial subsea project utilizing Nauticus ToolKITT™ on a retrofitted ROV platform.

While Nauticus ToolKITT™ is successfully deployed in operations aboard the company's flagship Aquanaut® robot, this project represents the first commercial application of the software on a third-party ROV platform.

The achievement demonstrates that the modular autonomy solution is capable of upgrading existing offshore vehicles without major hardware or control system redesigns.

Nauticus ToolKITT™ provides advanced autonomous station-keeping and navigation capabilities that reduce pilot workload, enhance mission consistency, and improve operational safety.

"From an ROV operator's perspective, the difference was immediate," said Jason Hanagriff, ROV Superintendent, formerly employed by SeaTrepid and now Nauticus. "Nauticus ToolKITT™ handled station-keeping and positioning with a level of precision that normally requires continuous manual correction. It allowed our pilots to focus on the work task instead of fighting the vehicle — a real leap forward in how these systems perform offshore."

Developed and validated through years of testing – including high-fidelity simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration, and open-water certification – Nauticus ToolKITT™ is designed for rapid adoption across vehicle classes, a market estimated to be around 1,500 ROVs.