The development of unmanned surface vehicles spans several
decades. The original radio-controlled boats were designed
for damage assessment and dangerous mine clearance
operations. Over the past two decades, the development of
more advanced sensors and the increased capabilities of
computational power and communication technology coupled
with a reduction in cost have motivated the use of USV in
new applications and more complex missions such as
minesweeping, environmental data collection and monitoring,
water survey, anti-surface, and submarine warfare.