We're seeing many examples of auto manufacturers aiming to remove the human element from the driving experience, but there are also moves to get robot boats on the water, too. Dutch researchers have been looking into using autonomous vessels for cargo and people transport, the US Navy has demonstrated harbor patrols using unmanned swarmboats and the first electric container ship is due to transition from manned to remotely-operated over the coming years. Meanwhile hobbyists have been busying themselves developing long-haul unmanned surface vehicles powered by the sun, such as the Solar Charger and SeaCharger. Most of the autonomous watercraft we've seen so far follow traditional hull and propulsion designs. The AutoNaut is a little different, packing solar-powered sensors for monitoring marine wildlife and ocean conditions and getting to where it needs to be using energy harvested from the waves it rides on.

The AutoNaut story began way back in 1981 when a skipper aboard a 30 meter schooner wondered if it was possible to make use of the waves to propel a craft, rather than fighting against them. Mike Poole bashed together a rough prototype from an old filing cabinet, toy cogs and a mustard tin and tested it on local river waters. The idea proved to have merit.