PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
UMCT aims to accelerate the development and deployment of the next generation of maritime robotics, reducing system integration time, lowering the overall costs, increasing mission endurance and simplifying maintenance.
A short overview of the objectives is provided as a baseline:
• Design of a non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) Antenna.
• Design, implement and prototype a custom terrestrial Antenna and integrate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) satellite communications.
• Design and develop a single integrated communication terminal that combines satellite and coastal systems.
• Provide a plug and play terminal compatible with multiple USV platforms.
• Ensure reliable Beyond Radio Line of Sight (BRLOS) command and control communication.
• Development of a network simulator to replicate and simulate realistic conditions in a controlled environment.
• Conduct structured sea trials.
Benefits
UMCT delivers a unified communication solution that simplifies the deployment of maritime autonomous systems by integrating satellite and terrestrial communications into a single terminal. The platform reduces system integration effort, lowers acquisition and maintenance costs, and enables rapid deployment across multiple USV platforms through a plug-and-play architecture.
By providing reliable BRLOS command and control communications, UMCT enhances mission effectiveness, operational safety, and platform availability in both coastal and offshore environments. The combination of custom-designed antennas and commercial satellite communication technologies improves connectivity resilience while optimising size, weight, and power consumption.
Features
A short overview of the features of the project
• Custom terrestrial antenna integrated with COTS satellite communication technologies.
• Single integrated communication terminal combining satellite and coastal communication capabilities.
• Modular and scalable design supporting future communication technologies and platform expansion.
Challenges
Maritime autonomous systems require reliable BRLOS communications across diverse operational environments.
Existing solutions often depend on multiple standalone communication systems, resulting in complex integration, increased costs, higher power consumption, and maintenance challenges.
Ensuring seamless interoperability between satellite and coastal networks, maintaining connectivity during dynamic sea conditions, and validating performance under realistic operational scenarios remain significant technical challenges.
Furthermore, integrating communication solutions across different USV platforms requires substantial customisation, slowing deployment and increasing lifecycle costs.
System Architecture
The UMCT system architecture is based on a modular, integrated communication framework designed to provide resilient and seamless connectivity.
A communication management layer continuously monitors network availability, link quality, and operational requirements to dynamically select and switch between satellite and coastal communication channels.
The terminal interfaces with the USV platform through standardised hardware and software interfaces, enabling plug-and-play deployment across multiple vessel types with minimal integration effort.
To support development and validation, the architecture includes a network simulation environment capable of reproducing realistic maritime communication conditions, network impairments, and operational scenarios.
Plan
The UMCT project follows a 20-month schedule, structured into 6 different sequential phases. Starting with a comprehensive study phase (State of the art), user requirements analysis and a baseline concept selection. From here, a detailed design phase defines the system architecture. In the subsequent phase, both software and hardware implementations are developed and tested. Finally, a field trial is conducted to validate the system under realistic conditions, concluding with a technology assessment and a roadmap for further development.
Current Status
The project has recently kick off and it’s currently in its early phase of assessment of the state of the art and finalization of system specifications.
