Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Patent Landscape 2026
The AUV patent field is moderately concentrated, with a Western-industrial leader (Subsea 7) and a dense cluster of Chinese academic institutions competing for the top positions. Activity has plateaued near its 2019 peak on a multi-year basis, signaling a mature but still active field rather than a declining one.
Subsea 7 leads a field split between Western industry and Chinese academia
Subsea 7 Ltd holds the top position with 49 patent families, ahead of the Shenyang Institute of Automation (Chinese Academy of Sciences) at 42, Kawasaki Heavy Industries at 38, and Harbin Engineering University at 36. The top five collectively account for 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating a moderately concentrated but genuinely competitive field.
A clear tier gap separates the top four from the mid-tier group clustered between 23 and 33 patent families. Below rank ten, counts drop sharply below 20, confirming that sustained portfolio depth is confined to a small set of incumbents.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subsea 7 Ltd | 49 | |
| 2 | Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 42 | |
| 3 | Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | 38 | |
| 4 | Harbin Engineering University | 36 | |
| 5 | PGS Exploration (UK) Ltd (PXGeo UK Ltd) | 33 | |
| 6 | Seabed Geosolutions BV | 33 | |
| 7 | Zhejiang University | 26 | |
| 8 | CGG Services SA | 24 | |
| 9 | Autonomous Robotics | 23 | |
| 10 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | 17 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Raytheon Company | 13 | |
| 12 | Tianjin Hanhai Lanfan Marine Technology Co Ltd | 13 | |
| 13 | Exail Robotics | 12 | |
| 14 | KOREA INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | 11 | |
| 15 | Seabed Geosolutions AS | 11 | |
| 16 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 11 | |
| 17 | China Jiliang University | 10 | |
| 18 | Cellula Robotics Ltd | 10 | |
| 19 | Ocean Floor Geophysics | 8 | |
| 20 | Jilin University | 8 |
The top positions are held by a mix of subsea-services companies, defense-adjacent industrial firms, and state-backed Chinese universities — a structure that implies both commercial-deployment and state-funded research pressures are shaping the prior-art landscape simultaneously.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and will appear under-counted in current data; conclusions about the most recent period should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity plateaued after a 2019 surge; naval and launching classes dominate the technology mix
The two charts together show that AUV patenting reached a pronounced peak in 2019 and has since oscillated around a lower plateau, while the IPC class distribution reveals a technology base that is heavily weighted toward vehicle operation and deployment rather than sensing or autonomy software.
Annual filing trend
Filing volume peaked sharply at 100 records in 2019, dropped in 2020–2021, then partially recovered in 2022–2023 before easing again. The 2025–2026 figures reflect publication lag and should not be interpreted as a structural decline. The multi-year window remains above early-period baselines, consistent with a mature field that has stopped accelerating.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B63G (naval vessels and offensive systems) and B63C (launching and salvaging vessels) are the two dominant classes, accounting for the large majority of patent records. G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying), B63H (marine propulsion), G05D (control of non-electric variables), and G01S (radar, sonar, and positioning) form a secondary tier, reflecting the field’s strong seismic-survey and navigation heritage. Software-intensive classes such as G06N (AI models) and H04L (digital transmission) remain sparse.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Transport of Pay…
An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is disclosed for transporting and delivering a positively buoyant payload and/or a negatively buoyant payload to a destination. The AUV can be gravitationally propelled through the sea. The AUV can comprise a flexible vehicle body that receives a positively buoyant payload (e.g., incompressible fluid, like fuel) and… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modular autonomous underwater vehicle system | 218 |
| 2 | 一种海底电缆探测水下机器人及作业方法 | 131 |
| 3 | 一种水下机器人回收系统及其回收方法 | 109 |
| 4 | Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle with buoyan… | 95 |
| 5 | Hybrid remotely/autonomously operated underwater v… | 82 |
| 6 | Autonomous underwater vehicle for marine seismic s… | 76 |
| 7 | Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Borne Gravity Meter | 74 |
| 8 | 采用同时定位与地图构建方法的自主式水下机器人 | 73 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural dimensions — life-cycle stage, portfolio concentration, co-filing partnerships, and geographic coverage — each carry distinct implications for where new entrants or incumbents should direct effort.
Field is at maturity: plateau, not decline
Annual filings have plateaued near their 2019 peak rather than continuing to climb, placing the field firmly in the maturity stage. Incremental improvements to known architectures now dominate new filings. R&D investment is best directed toward differentiated sub-systems — autonomy software, energy management, or novel sensor integration — rather than broad vehicle-level patents that face dense prior art.
Mature · plateaued near peakModerate concentration with a two-tier structure
The top five filers hold 28% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and the top four each exceed 36 patent families — a meaningful moat. The mid-tier (ranks 5–10, ranging from 23 to 33 families) is sufficiently populated to maintain competitive pressure. New entrants without a clear sub-domain focus will find it difficult to establish white-space positions against incumbents with deep, broad portfolios.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing is limited but institutionally patterned
The most active co-filing pairs are Harbin Engineering University with its Sanya Nanhai innovation base (2 joint filings) and Zhejiang University with Shanghai Nanhua Lanling Electric (2 joint filings). The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology co-files with the Korean Ocean Research Institute (2 joint filings), and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. collaborates with Saudi Aramco Services (1 joint filing). Co-filing activity is sparse overall, suggesting the ecosystem has not coalesced around shared platforms.
Sparse co-filingChina is the primary filing jurisdiction; U.S. and EPO follow
China accounts for 420 patent records, far ahead of the United States at 201 and Europe (EPO) at 86. WIPO PCT filings stand at 79, indicating a meaningful but minority fraction of applicants seeking broad international protection. India (61 records) and Japan (43 records) round out the next tier. The China-heavy distribution reflects the dominance of Chinese academic institutions in the applicant ranking and creates asymmetric freedom-to-operate risk for non-Chinese entrants.
China-dominant filingsGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Harbin Engineering University | Harbin Engineering University Sanya Nanhai Innovation and Development Base | 2 |
| Zhejiang University | Shanghai Nanhua Lanling Electric Co Ltd | 2 |
| Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology | Korea Ocean Research Institute | 2 |
| Harbin Engineering University | Shaanxi Yinhan Jiwei Engineering Construction Co Ltd | 1 |
| Zhejiang University | Hangzhou Shenhao Technology Co Ltd | 1 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | Saudi Aramco Services Company | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Subsea 7 leads on vehicle operation; geophysical-survey specialists form a strong second tier
The top two players illustrate the field’s bifurcation: Subsea 7 is an oil-and-gas subsea-services incumbent with a broad operational portfolio, while the Shenyang Institute of Automation brings state-backed deep-sea robotics research with a deployment and launch emphasis. Both face recent-period deceleration in filing rate.
Subsea 7 Ltd
Subsea 7 holds 49 patent families, the largest portfolio in scope. Its technology focus is concentrated in B63G (AUV vehicle systems), B63B (marine vessels, 16 families), and B63C (launching and salvaging, 6 families), reflecting a full-stack subsea-services orientation. Momentum data for Subsea 7 is not broken out in the recent-period evidence, but the broader field plateau suggests limited incremental expansion at the top.
families: 49Shenyang Institute of Automation (CAS)
The institute holds 42 patent families and ranks second overall, with primary emphasis on B63C (launching and salvaging, 27 families), B63G (22 families), and B63H (marine propulsion, 4 families). Recent-period momentum shows a 40% decline versus the prior three-year window, suggesting a consolidation phase after earlier intensive output. Its state-backed positioning makes it a consistent competitor in Chinese jurisdiction filings.
families: 42| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 9 | ▼ -40% |
| Harbin Engineering University | 6 | ▼ -40% |
| Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | 8 | ▼ -60% |
| Zhejiang University | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Several IPC classes adjacent to the dominant B63G/B63C core show meaningful but relatively low patent counts, indicating that technical activity exists but portfolio depth is limited. These are observations of relative sparsity; whether any constitutes a genuine opportunity depends on a filer’s technical capabilities and commercial target.
G05D · Control of Non-Electric Variables
G05D covers autonomous control systems — depth, attitude, and trajectory regulation — and sits at 130 patent records against 781 in the dominant B63G class. Given the field’s stated maturity in vehicle hardware, autonomy and adaptive control logic represent a plausible area where software-capable entrants could differentiate. Entry paths include perception-to-control pipelines and fault-tolerant control under sensor degradation, both of which are technically adjacent to robotics and aerospace control IP.
Search this in Eureka →G06N · Computing Based on AI Models
G06N (AI models applied to AUV tasks) registers only 13 patent records — a strikingly sparse count relative to the broader corpus of 713 patent families. Machine-learning approaches to underwater navigation, obstacle avoidance, and mission planning are active research areas, and the low filing density suggests that academic output has not yet converted into substantial patent portfolios. An entrant with deep learning or reinforcement-learning expertise could find this branch comparatively open, though freedom-to-operate checks against broader AI infrastructure patents would still be needed.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by IPC technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B63G 8 · Naval vessels & offensive | B63C 11 · Launching & salvaging vessels | G05D 1 · Control of non-electric variables | G01V 1 · Geophysics & gravity surveying | B63B 27 · Ships & marine vessels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGG (Compagnie Generale de Geophysique) | Strong · 42 | Moderate · 11 | Emerging · 3 | Strong · 39 | Emerging · 4 |
| Seabed Geosolutions BV | Strong · 31 | Moderate · 7 | Absent | Strong · 28 | Moderate · 8 |
| Subsea 7 Ltd | Strong · 49 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 16 |
| Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | Strong · 21 | Strong · 34 | Moderate · 7 | Absent | Absent |
| Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Strong · 22 | Strong · 27 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Harbin Engineering University | Strong · 28 | Strong · 20 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Autonomous Robotics | Strong · 23 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 10 | Moderate · 7 |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 713 patent families in scope globally. China is the leading filing jurisdiction by patent records, followed by the United States and Europe (EPO).
Subsea 7 Ltd leads with 49 patent families, followed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation (Chinese Academy of Sciences) with 42 and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with 38.
The field is at a maturity stage. Annual filings peaked in 2019 and have since plateaued rather than continuing to climb. The multi-year window still shows a 9% recent growth figure, but annual volume has eased from its 2019 peak. The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to publication lag.
B63G (naval vessels and offensive systems) and B63C (launching and salvaging vessels) are the two dominant IPC classes. Secondary classes include G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying), B63H (marine propulsion and steering), G05D (control of non-electric variables), and G01S (radar, sonar, and positioning).
G05D (autonomous control of non-electric variables) and G06N (AI and machine learning models) stand out as relatively sparse relative to the dominant classes. G06N in particular registers only 13 patent records across the corpus, suggesting that AI-driven AUV autonomy has not yet converted heavily into patent portfolios.
China dominates by volume at 420 patent records, reflecting the strong presence of Chinese academic institutions. The United States (201 records) and Europe via the EPO (86 records) are the next most significant jurisdictions. PCT (WIPO) filings at 79 records indicate that a meaningful fraction of applicants seek multi-jurisdictional protection, but the majority do not.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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