The current three-joint prototype marks the initial phase of a broader development roadmap that includes five-joint and seven-joint configurations. By shifting away from hydraulic architecture, the company aims to decrease maintenance frequency and operational costs while increasing the reliability of robotic interventions in challenging marine environments. The system utilizes the company’s ToolKITT software to handle site recognition and precision positioning, allowing the vehicle to adapt to shifting underwater conditions independently.

Engineering teams began functional and load testing on the new hardware this month. Vice President of Engineering Ameen Albadri noted that the system was built from the ground up to synchronize hardware movement with intelligent perception software. Nauticus plans to use its Aquanaut platform as the primary vehicle for upcoming field demonstrations throughout the remainder of 2026. This development runs parallel to the company’s ongoing collaboration on the Olympic Arm, a separate electric manipulator designed for traditional remotely operated vehicle applications.