Advancing renewable energy and autonomous maritime systems.
The Técnico Solar Boat project began with a focused goal: to design and build a solar-powered boat for international competitions. Over time, this vision has evolved into a multidisciplinary initiative that brings together engineers, designers, and strategists. Today, they compete globally while contributing to cutting-edge research and development in renewable energy and autonomous technologies.
Técnico Solar Boat is passionate about advancing renewable energy and autonomous systems in maritime technology. Since their founding in 2015, their student-led team from Instituto Superior Técnico has grown in scale and ambition. To date, they have proudly developed three solar-powered vessels, two hydrogen-powered boats, and one autonomous prototype. With over 60 active members and numerous international awards, their mission is clear: to pioneer sustainable and intelligent solutions that shape the future of maritime transport.
Recent advancements have been driven by Foxglove’s capabilities to visualize, debug, and manage the multimodal data that the boats produce, allowing the team to enhance autonomy and improve reliability. Foxglove has become an essential tool for refining the data and AI systems behind Técnico Solar Boat’s latest autonomous and sustainable energy vessels, empowering the team to achieve new heights of innovation and performance.
One of their proudest milestones is the development of São Pedro 01 (SP01), their first autonomous prototype. Built for the Njord Autonomous Ship Challenge in Norway, SP01 earned them second place in both 2023 and 2024. This high-performance catamaran, crafted with lightweight carbon fiber, incorporates cutting-edge CAD, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and finite element method (FEM) analysis to deliver both strength and speed. SP01’s stereo camera and lidar sensor feed real-time data to its AI guidance system, enabling autonomous navigation and adaptive path optimization.
“Foxglove’s platform has been instrumental in visualizing, debugging, and managing SP01’s complex data streams, allowing us to troubleshoot quickly and ensure the vessel consistently performs at its best.”
Ravi Regalo, Head of Autonomous Systems at Técnico Solar Boat.
Their commitment to innovation extends across their fleet. São Rafael 03, their third solar-powered prototype, features hydrofoils that enable it to “fly” above the water, significantly reducing drag and enhancing efficiency. This cutting-edge design earned them second place in the Solar Class at the 2024 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC), thanks to significant propulsion and hydrofoil advancements.
“As we continue to build the vessels of tomorrow, Técnico Solar Boat is proud to collaborate with Foxglove to drive innovation and sustainability. Together, we are shaping the future of clean and autonomous maritime technology.”
Ravi Regalo, Head of Autonomous Systems at Técnico Solar Boat.
In addition to their solar-powered boats, they developed SM02, the second in their hydrogen-powered line, showcasing the immense potential of fuel cell technology for maritime applications.
Their most ambitious project to date is São Gabriel 01, an 8-meter-long vessel designed for the open sea class at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC). São Gabriel 01 will integrate both solar and hydrogen propulsion systems, with plans to make it fully autonomous in the near future. Foxglove is pivotal in this endeavor, providing the team with the tools to push the boundaries of clean, autonomous maritime technology.
To learn more, visit the Técnico Solar Boat website and join the Foxglove community to connect with team members and some of the most talented robotics developers. Discover how they’re building unparalleled reliability into their autonomous systems and driving innovation forward.
