Plymouth Startup's Robotic Sailboats Monitor Hurricanes in the Caribbean
A startup company based in Plymouth, Oshen, has deployed robotic sailboats in the Caribbean's "hurricane alley" to gather crucial data. Five C-Star autonomous sailboats are currently operating in this active Atlantic Ocean region, aiming to enhance hurricane understanding and forecasting.
The C-Star Deployment
Oshen's "constellation" of C-Star sailboats, each measuring just 1.2m (3.9ft) long, was selected by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Southern Mississippi for the 2025 hurricane monitoring program. These miniature, uncrewed surface vehicles are designed to collect vital data to improve hurricane research and forecasting.
Two additional C-Stars are staged in Gulfport, Mississippi, ready for deployment ahead of developing storms in the Gulf this autumn. This effort represents the latest move by NOAA to advance data collection and improve hurricane research.
The Importance of Ocean Data
Greg Foltz, an oceanographer for NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), emphasizes the importance of ocean surface data: "Understanding weather conditions where the ocean surface meets the lower atmosphere is key to predicting hurricane intensity." If these miniature uncrewed surface vehicles prove reliable, they could become a critical piece of NOAA’s hurricane observing system in the future.
The Potential Impact and Challenges
The C-Stars have previously been used in the US and Europe for collecting ocean weather and climate data, as well as monitoring marine mammals. According to Anahita Laverack, Oshen CEO, while these vessels have navigated through significant storms, hurricanes present a unique challenge. However, the potential long-term benefits are immense.
Laverack stated, "We believe that these new, small USVs can move the needle in how we observe and understand hurricanes, while keeping budgets under control." She sees the deployment of the C-Stars as a way to potentially save lives.
