US based autonomy software developer Shield AI and Taiwanese unmanned systems manufacturer Thunder Tiger have completed the first multi-asset autonomous maritime teaming demonstration using Shield AI’s Hivemind AI pilot aboard unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
The demonstration, conducted in Pingtung, Taiwan, saw Thunder Tiger’s SeaShark 600 and SeaShark 800 USVs autonomously execute a coordinated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission using Hivemind artificial intelligence.
According to the companies, the USVs used maritime radar, electro-optical imagery and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to search a designated maritime area, identify a target vessel and coordinate an escort operation without human intervention. Hivemind autonomously planned mission routes, assigned waypoints and coordinated both platforms throughout the mission.
The event marked Hivemind’s first multi-platform autonomous teaming demonstration in the maritime domain and the first integration of the AI pilot with maritime radar and AIS data.
“Hivemind continues to prove that true mission autonomy can scale across domains, platforms, and functional assets, unlocking new capabilities for distributed intelligence and maritime security missions,” said Nathan Michael, Chief Technology Officer at Shield AI.
“As we continue working with Thunder Tiger to expand the scale and sophistication of autonomous maritime teams, these systems will fundamentally reshape maritime surveillance operations and strengthen deterrence through resilient, intelligent operations,” he added.
The demonstration builds on a strategic partnership announced earlier this year between Shield AI and Thunder Tiger to integrate Hivemind into the Taiwanese company’s portfolio of unmanned surface and aerial systems for dual-use maritime applications.
Thunder Tiger said the collaboration will continue with additional sensor integrations, expanded autonomous behaviors, larger coordinated unmanned teams and future open-ocean operations.
“As an island nation, the maritime domain is increasingly critical to Taiwan’s security,” said Gene Su, Board Director and General Manager of Thunder Tiger.
“By integrating AI pilots into our portfolio, we can enable distributed, networked teams that coordinate dynamically to build a more complete understanding of the maritime environment, improving the ability to detect, classify and identify contacts while helping operators respond with greater speed, scale and effectiveness.”
Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software has previously been demonstrated on more than 30 different platforms, including fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, unmanned surface vessels and ground vehicles. The Taiwan demonstration represents the latest expansion of the AI pilot’s multi-domain operational capabilities.