Cellula Robotics advances long-endurance AUV capability through Canadian defence collaboration
Autonomous underwater vehicles have long promised extended subsea endurance. Cellula Robotics and Defence Research and Development Canada are now producing evidence that the capability is maturing into operational reality. The two organizations have maintained a multi-year collaboration focused on advancing long-endurance AUV technology for demanding operating environments.
DRDC has supported Cellula through a development contract aimed at accelerating that development, and the Envoy AUV used in recent trials is owned by DRDC.
The latest milestone came in the form of a fully submerged endurance demonstration by Cellula's hydrogen fuel cell-powered Envoy AUV. Operating on a representative underwater mission profile, the vehicle completed 385 hours on mission and covered 2,023km submerged, exceeding the platform's published performance specification.
Practical subsea operations
Notably, the demonstration was conducted under conditions that reflect practical subsea operations rather than optimized testing circumstances. The mission included more than 4,000 turns and manoeuvres, each of which increased energy demand relative to steady, linear travel – making the result a more meaningful indicator of usable endurance in real-world operating conditions.
“Capability of this kind is advanced through sustained collaboration, rigorous testing, and a shared commitment to what is operationally useful,” said Eric Jackson, president and founder of Cellula Robotics. “We are very pleased to announce such progress, reflected in a representative mission demonstration that exceeded a key performance objective, and we are very appreciative of the important role DRDC/RDDC has played in helping mature this capability over time.”
The demonstration was achieved using hydrogen fuel cell technology developed with Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, and reflects part of a broader effort to mature autonomous subsea systems capable of delivering greater persistence, stronger mission continuity, and more practical offshore performance.
For operators, these improvements matter because endurance is not simply a technical metric. It affects how long a vehicle can remain productive below the surface, how often intervention is required, and how effectively offshore time can be used. Continued progress in this area helps expand what is practical for autonomous subsea systems across defence, survey, scientific and other mission-driven applications.
More broadly, the collaboration highlights the role sustained development partnerships can play in advancing complex underwater technologies. In areas such as long-endurance autonomy, meaningful progress depends not only on technical innovation, but on the continuity, shared focus and practical support needed to mature capability over time.
