About Portable Catamaran Drone

The Portable Catamaran Drone (PCD) enables autonomous microplastic sampling in marine and aquatic environments using an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) platform. Developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the PCD deploys sampling equipment across water bodies without direct operator contact, reducing contamination risk and enabling access to hazardous or remote sampling sites.

The catamaran design stabilizes the platform in variable water conditions. Furthermore, the drone operates under remote or autonomous control via onboard navigation systems. The system collects surface water samples across defined survey routes. Additionally, the platform can integrate multiple sampling devices for concurrent data collection.

Key Features of Portable Catamaran Drone

• Also features a catamaran hull design for improved stability in shallow and coastal marine environments
• Furthermore, the system operates as an uncrewed surface vehicle, eliminating operator exposure to contaminated water
• In addition, deployment is portable and rapid, enabling sampling campaigns across multiple sites without extensive infrastructure
• Additionally, the platform integrates with standard water sampling equipment for microplastic and contaminant collection
• Moreover, autonomous navigation capability allows pre-programmed survey routes and consistent sampling transects

Access and Data Availability

The Portable Catamaran Drone is available as open-access hardware through the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Technical specifications and design documentation are accessible via the Robotnik Solutions platform. Open data policies support reproducible marine microplastics research and collaborative deployment across institutions.

Researchers can access design files, operational protocols, and integration guidelines for adapting the platform to site-specific sampling requirements. Data collected via PCD deployments follows open-science standards compatible with microplastics occurrence databases and marine monitoring networks.

Community and Support

The platform was developed within the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s environmental robotics program. Furthermore, the tool contributes to standardized protocols for automated aquatic sampling. The open-access design encourages institutional adoption and collaborative field studies across coastal research programs.

This tool is part of the Plastiverse.org ecosystem, contributing to the collective knowledge and resources available for microplastics research.