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 (Alameda, Calif., U.S.), a maritime defense and oceanographic survey using a fleet of robotic sailboats to collect real-time data, has received ISO 9001 certification. Assessed by Eagle Registrations Inc., an ANAB accredited body, the implementation means that Saildrone has put in place effective processes and trained staff to repeatedly deliver high-quality products and services to the best of its ability.

Saildrone designs and develops advanced autonomous technology to explore and safeguard the world’s oceans. Its 33-foot commercial uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) Voyager platform, introduced in 2023 for defense and coastal mapping, features a composite wing, keel and hull manufactured by companies like Janicki Industries (Sedro-Woolley, Wash., U.S.) and Seemann Composites (Gulfport, Miss, U.S.).

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Being the most widely used quality management standard, ISO 9001:2015 certification is beneficial for customer confidence, effective complaint resolution and continuous improvement. Its process involved a rigorous evaluation of Saildrone’s quality management system, including comprehensive audits of processes, documentation and overall operational efficiency.

Saildrone adds this international recommendation to its existing credentials in meeting rigorous compliance standards. In 2023, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) issued Approval in Principle (AIP) certificates to Saildrone, including its first AIP for Voyager. AIP is a formal review process that evaluates the design concept of a new technology, product or system against ABS rules and applicable regulations as an important first step to full classification.

Voyager then went on to earn interim classification, enabling the vehicle to operate in the ports and waters of countries that require vessels to be classed by organizations such as ABS, and demonstrates Saildrone’s commitment to safety, standardization and reliability in its technology and operations.

Saildrone Surveyor-class vehicles are built to ABS Light Warship code. At 20 meters long (65 feet) and weighing 15 tons, the Surveyor carries the latest multibeam sonar equipment for seafloor mapping to depths of 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and purpose-built defense and security payloads for accurate, dynamic and confident decisions and responses to the full spectrum of maritime threats and challenges.

Working with Rightship and using the guidance established by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) for quantifying avoided emissions, Saildrone issued its  in 2024. The report showed that in 2022 Saildrone avoided 99.9% of comparable ocean data collection emissions and 143% of its own total Scope 1-3 carbon emissions, a number that is expected to go up as operations expand.