Trends and challenges in unmanned surface vehicles (USV): From survey to shipping

Autonomy and unmanned systems have evolved significantly in recent decades, becoming a key routine component for various sectors and domains as an intrinsic sign of their improvement, the ocean not being an exception. This paper shows the transition from the research concept to the commercial product and related services for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV). Note that it has not always been easy in most cases due to the limitations of the technology, business, and policy framework. An overview of current trends in USV technology looking for a baseline to understand the sector where some experiences of the authors are shown in this work. The analysis presented shows a multidisciplinary approach to the field. USV's capabilities and applications today include a wide range of operations and services aimed at meeting the specific needs of the maritime sector. This important consideration for USV has yet to be fully addressed, but progress is being made.