Core topics include

- Vehicle design
Design of autonomous marine vehicles and vehicle sub-systems, including novel designs, improved efficiency, low-cost systems, modular systems, bioinspiration, soft robotics, energy harvesting, and multi-function design

- Planning & control
Algorithmic methods including off-line approaches that leverage environment priors and real-time adaptive methods using sensing or communication to improve multi-vehicle coordination

- Navigation & sensing
Data fusion, localisation and mapping, and map-based navigation. New payloads, data processing and integration (e.g., acoustic, optic, environment, and multi-vehicle sensing) to enhance mission performance

- Operations, communication & data management
Over-horizon and persistent operations. Communication devices and protocols, advanced mission management and complex operations (e.g., under-ice, in ports and harbours, multi-vehicle)

- Science & industrial applications
Conservation and heritage science, port-harbour safety, exploration and repeat monitoring. Sustainable resource and infrastructure management, including fisheries, renewables, infrastructure inspection