Dual-Use ROV with Modular Sensor Integration for Naval Operations

Naval operations require reliable data below the surface. Vessel readiness, harbour security and the assessment of submerged infrastructure depend on the ability to inspect underwater areas quickly while limiting the exposure of personnel.

Dubotech’s dual-use remotely operated vehicle is engineered for this operating environment. The platform combines underwater mobility, onboard sensing, live operator control and modular payload integration within a single configurable system.

Designed for operations at depths of up to 300 metres and speeds of up to three knots, the ROV provides the reach and manoeuvrability required for coastal and harbour deployments. A low-light HD camera delivers a continuous visual feed to the surface operator, supporting navigation, observation and close-range inspection.

The platform is designed to support naval requirements including ship-hull inspection, underwater search, harbour and berth assessment, seabed observation and the inspection of submerged structures. It can provide access to areas that may be difficult, time-consuming or unsafe for divers to enter directly.

Sensor Capability Beyond the Camera

Underwater visibility remains one of the principal limitations of conventional ROV operations. Turbidity, suspended sediment and disturbed seabed material can quickly reduce the effectiveness of optical cameras.

Dubotech’s ROV addresses this challenge through modular sensor integration. The platform can accommodate imaging sonar, side-scan sonar, Doppler velocity logging and additional navigation or inspection sensors according to the operational requirement.

Imaging sonar can provide awareness of objects and structures where direct visibility is restricted. Side-scan sonar can extend seabed observation across a wider area, while Doppler velocity logging can strengthen underwater navigation and vehicle control.

The sensor configuration can be changed without redesigning the core vehicle. This allows the same platform to be prepared for different naval tasks by adapting its payload, sensing and navigation package.

Engineered for Regional Waters

The ROV is developed around the conditions encountered across South Asian coastal and delta waters. High turbidity, heavy sediment, current and rapidly changing visibility create an operating environment that differs significantly from clear-water deployment.

Dubotech’s experience in underwater robotics informs the complete vehicle architecture, including propulsion, control, communications, sensing and payload integration. This enables the platform to be configured around regional water conditions and the practical requirements of naval personnel.

Operators maintain direct control from the surface while receiving live information from the onboard camera and mission sensors. The vehicle can therefore extend underwater access and awareness without unnecessarily placing personnel in uncertain environments.

Capability Demonstrated to Bangladesh Navy Personnel

Dubotech demonstrated the ROV to Bangladesh Navy personnel, focusing on vehicle manoeuvrability, live underwater observation and sensor-assisted detection.

During the demonstration, personnel observed how the vehicle could be controlled below the surface and how its onboard sensing could support the detection and assessment of underwater objects and features. The activity also demonstrated the value of combining visual and acoustic information where cameras alone may be insufficient.

The demonstration positioned the ROV as more than an underwater viewing system. Its modular payload architecture enables the vehicle to function as a configurable sensing platform capable of supporting different naval requirements through a common vehicle design.

Extending Naval Capability Below the Surface

The future of naval operations will increasingly depend on unmanned systems capable of carrying specialised sensors, accessing difficult underwater areas and delivering useful information without exposing personnel unnecessarily.

Dubotech’s ROV is built around that requirement. It brings together a field-configurable underwater vehicle, modular sensing and mission connectivity within a platform engineered for complex littoral waters.

Through FORTIS, vehicle status, sensor feeds and mission outputs can be brought into a common operating picture. This allows operators to supervise underwater tasks and connect information collected below the surface with the wider naval operation.

The result is a sensor-ready underwater system designed to strengthen naval inspection, search and situational awareness while operating as part of a connected mission environment.