A fleet of wind-propelled robot boats could act as a sensor network covering a wide area and relay acoustic signals to a submarine

“The simplest way of describing C-Stars is as self-deploying, station-keeping ocean buoys,” says Oshen CEO Anahita Laverack.

The boats can sail at about 2 knots, covering around 50 miles per day, or use the wind to remain in place rather than drifting. They don’t need to be fast. “Speed is not important when you are a CCTV network,” says Laverack. “The idea is to position sensors everywhere you need them.”