Surface mode
Fins vertical. It sails.
The concept uses vertical fins to harness wind for surface movement. Navigation, communications, energy management and real-world performance must be validated through engineering and testing.
U.S. Patent No. 12,691,980 · Issued July 2026
Unlocking the ocean
for Physical AI
A patented autonomous marine platform designed to combine wind-driven surface sailing with buoyancy-driven underwater gliding. First, define a customer mission. Then validate the platform and its data potential.
The gap
Ocean data is costly to collect—and often intermittent
Research vessels, fixed sensors, surface systems and underwater gliders each provide valuable observations, but differ in cost, coverage, persistence and access across the water column. Solitons is designed to explore whether one platform can close a specific, customer-defined gap.
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Research ships
Exceptional capability, but expensive to run and deployed only intermittently.
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Buoys
Inexpensive and reliable, but stationary. Coverage never extends past the mooring.
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Surface drones
Mobile on the surface, with no access to anything below it.
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Underwater gliders
The water column only. Slow to reposition, and no continuous surface link.
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Solitons
Designed for surface and subsurface missions from one airframe; performance and endurance remain to be validated.
The opportunity is not just to build a vehicle—it is to collect valuable ocean observations in a way customers can justify.
The architecture
One airframe. Two operating modes.
The patented concept rotates its central body to reorient the same fin pair for surface sailing and underwater gliding. The next step is to validate the mechanism and determine which customer mission it can serve best.
Underwater mode
Rotate 90°. It glides.
The same fins become horizontal wings. Variable buoyancy is designed to convert vertical motion into forward underwater glide without a conventional propeller; energy budget and endurance remain to be tested.
Future deployment concept
From aircraft to ocean. Faster.
A future deployment concept could use cargo aircraft to insert Solitons into remote maritime areas, potentially reducing reliance on a nearby launch vessel.
The concept envisions controlled descent toward the ocean followed by a mission-ready transition. Aircraft release, descent stability, water entry, navigation, recovery and operational safety remain to be engineered and validated.
Concept illustration only. Aircraft deployment is not a demonstrated capability.
Applications
One platform. Multiple mission possibilities.
These are potential applications, not validated markets. Our first product should be shaped by a real buyer, a defined mission and measurable requirements.
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Ocean intelligence
Potential long-term network of ocean observations
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Environmental monitoring
Climate, reefs and ecosystems
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Defense
Maritime domain awareness and security
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Offshore energy
Assets, pipelines and platforms
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Critical infrastructure
Cables, ports and pipelines
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Scientific research
Scientific observations and research missions
Data strategy
Platform first. Ocean data over time.
Our sequence is to identify a valuable customer need, define the mission, validate the vehicle, and only then explore repeatable data products.
01 Define the first mission
Work with a prospective buyer to identify required measurements, payload, depth, duration, coverage and delivery needs.
02 Validate the platform
Test the core architecture, controllability, endurance, reliability and ability to collect useful measurements.
03 Establish data value
Determine whether the resulting observations solve a problem customers will pay to address.
04 Explore Physical AI
If the data is useful and sufficiently reliable, explore applications in ocean models, marine robotics and Physical AI systems.
Customer mission first. Validated platform next. Data business only where demand is proven.
The network
One vehicle is a sensor.
A fleet is infrastructure.
Individual computers became exponentially more useful once they were networked. Autonomous ocean vehicles behave the same way. Each unit shares what it observes, adapts its mission to what the fleet is learning, and takes on whichever role creates the most value at that moment.
System of systems
A platform, not just a vehicle
Once a persistent ocean node exists, it becomes a foundation for other systems. A vehicle holding station can launch and recover an aerial drone to extend its reach past the horizon — for inspection, communications relay or time-sensitive reconnaissance.
Not under development today. The architecture is designed to allow it.
Intellectual property
The invention is protected. Validation is next.
U.S. Patent No. 12,691,980
Vehicle Operable as an Underwater Glider and a Surface Sailing Vehicle
- 20Claims
- Jul 2026Issued
- 1Airframe, two modes
The issued patent establishes a foundation for the claimed invention; it does not establish operational performance. The next milestone is to validate the architecture against a defined customer mission.
The roadmap
Patent. Validate. Deploy. Scale.
The next step is to define a customer mission, then validate the platform through modelling, controlled testing and prototype development. Each milestone should retire a specific technical or commercial risk.
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Patent issued
Complete · July 2026
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Customer mission definition
Identify the first use case and its operating requirements
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Simulation & modelling
Hydrodynamic and control-law modelling across both modes
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Instrumented tank testing
Measured mode transition and stability in controlled water
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Subscale prototype
First integrated airframe demonstrating the rotation
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Open-water prototype
Endurance and autonomy in real sea state
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Pilot deployments
Real missions with launch customers
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Ocean network
Coordinated fleet, persistent coverage
Partner with Solitons
Help define Solitons’ first ocean mission
Ocean-data customers
Identify a valuable measurement or monitoring need
Prototype and technical partners
Define requirements and validate the architecture
Physical AI / data partners
Explore potential demand for reliable marine-environment data
Strategic industry partners
Help shape a focused first mission
Pre-seed investors
Support customer-led prototype validation