Marine robotics

The main reason that we still know more about the surface of the moon than most of our marine environment is because of the difficulty, danger and expense of gathering ocean data especially from extreme marine environments. But modern technology increasingly allows us to make these important in situ observations - often from afar.

Using a multitude of flying and diving robots the experienced and skilled staff and students at SAMS' Scottish Marine Robotics Facility develop, adapt, deploy and operate latest smart technologies to answer pressing environmental science questions.

These new technologies drive marine science forward and the new knowledge enables people to plan how we interact with the marine realm more sustainably.

Scientific expertise
Our scientific team uses robotics to study our environment. The facility is science led and has the expertise to design scientific missions and interpret data, providing a complete and distinctive package of marine observations.

Exceptional research capabilities
The facility has an exceptional range of capabilities that support academic, regulatory and commercial projects. From aerial mapping to surface fluxes and the properties of deep water, the Scottish Marine Robotics Facility has technologies that span the atmosphere, ocean and ice.