Oceanology International 2026 – Uncrewed Vehicles & Vessels Track Q&A

20.02.2026

Ocean Robotics Planet interviewed Richard Mills, CCO of Cellula Robotics, the Moderator of the Uncrewed Vehicles and Vessels conference track at Oi26, that will focus on innovative developments and applications in marine autonomous systems, including Robotics, AUVs, ROVs and ASVs.

ORP: Richard, you’ve been in the subsea robotics industry for more than 15 years. How have you seen autonomous and uncrewed vehicle technologies evolve, and what excites you most about this next phase?

Richard Mills: Over the last decade, autonomy has moved from being a curiosity, or a science project, to being recognised as an enabling technology for survey, science, and security. Geopolitical events have accelerated development and acceptance for naval operators, while the commercial sector has stayed focused on outcomes, better data, lower cost per bit, and fewer people offshore for longer periods of time.

What excites me most about this next phase is the shift from single vehicle missions to persistent operations, where platforms are not just collecting data, they are delivering capability. That means longer endurance, better decision making at the edge, more robust comms and workflows, and the ability to integrate into wider systems, including other vehicles, seabed infrastructure, and command networks. We are moving from “a vehicle that can do a mission” to “a system that can run a campaign.”

ORP: Oceanology International is often where breakthrough innovations are introduced. From your perspective, why is Oi such an important gathering point for the uncrewed systems community?

Richard Mills: OI matters because it is one of the few places where the whole chain shows up in the same room. It is not just vehicle manufacturers. It is operators, sensor and payload companies, energy and comms specialists, data and software teams, regulators, primes, and end users from survey, science and security.

That mix is where progress happens. People can see what is real, what is nearing fruition, and what is still marketing. They can compare approaches side by side, and have conversations that do not happen on video calls. OI is also a checkpoint, you arrive with ideas, you leave with priorities, partners, and a clearer view of what customers will actually buy and deploy.

ORP: Sustainability is becoming central to every ocean technology conversation. How can autonomy and energy efficiency go hand‑in‑hand to achieve low‑carbon ocean operations?

Richard Mills: Autonomy enables sustainability, when it is done properly. The biggest carbon, cost, and risk drivers offshore are vessels, people, and logistics. If you can reduce the number of sailings, shorten time on station, and extend mission duration without constant support, you cut emissions and improve safety at the same time.

Energy efficient autonomy is about three things. First, smarter mission planning and adaptive behaviours so the system collects meaningful data with minimal gaps. Second, platforms designed for endurance, low drag, efficient propulsion, and high efficiency payload management. Third, clean energy, through hydrogen fuel cells enabling longer endurance operations with fewer rare earth minerals and a more robust supply chain.

The prize is fewer vessel days, fewer transits, and more useful data per tonne of CO2.

ORP: If we were to sit here again in 2030, what would success look like for the uncrewed maritime industry — technical breakthroughs, regulatory milestones, or cultural acceptance?

Richard Mills: Success in 2030 is all three, and they reinforce each other.

Technically, it looks like persistent autonomy that is routine, not exceptional. Longer endurance as standard, reliable launch and recovery, resilient comms, better navigation in difficult environments, and multi vehicle operations that work outside of controlled demos. It also looks like operational maturity, predictable maintenance, clear readiness states, and data products that slot straight into customer workflows.

Regulatory success looks like clearer frameworks for uncrewed vessels, agreed approaches to assurance and safety cases, and practical rules that allow scaled operations rather than one off permissions. Not perfect regulation, just usable regulation.

Cultural success is the biggest one. It means customers stop asking, “can it be done,” and start asking, “how many do we need, and what is the best concept of operations.” It means trust, built through evidence, repeatability, and the ability to integrate into existing operations without drama.

ORP: Finally, as the moderator of the Uncrewed technical sessions why should someone working in marine robotics or ocean technology make sure to attend the Uncrewed Vehicles & Vessels track at Oi 2026?

Richard Mills:This track is where the industry shows practical application of recent developments. It is not a showroom pitch. It is engineers, operators, and end users talking about what works, what breaks, what scales, and what still needs solving.

If you are building vehicles, payload sensors, software, comms, power systems, or operating concepts, you will leave with sharper benchmarks, clearer customer pull, and better insight into where the real gaps are, especially around endurance, assurance, integration, and mission workflows. It is also one of the best places to find the people you actually need, partners, customers, and the engineers who will tell you the truth.