With only 9 percent of the world’s oceans mapped to modern standards, autonomous vessels hold much promise. An international organization of ocean mapmakers— the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) — has estimated that a collaborative effort between commercial shipping operators, international hydrographic organizations, oil and gas surveyors, fishing boats, scientific research vessels, and autonomous boats, could yield a complete map of our oceans by 2030.

“Mowing the lawn” is what oceanographers call the slow, tedious craft of making maps at sea. Some believe that even a handful of [autonomous] vehicles set loose on the ocean could fill a sizable gap in our seafloor maps.”

To learn more about how Sea Machines’ technology can help fill this gap, click here. Then check out The Verge’s fascinating read, which references Sea Machines, here.