Skana Robotics is addressing one of the most persistent problems in autonomous maritime operations. Underwater robots struggle to communicate reliably without exposing themselves. For years, this limitation has slowed progress in defense, security, and large-scale underwater missions.
Autonomous underwater vessels usually rely on surfacing to transmit data over long distances. That moment creates risk. Surfacing reveals location, increases vulnerability, and can compromise an entire mission. In contested waters, that exposure is often unacceptable.
Skana Robotics believes it has found a way to keep fleets connected without forcing them to surface. The Tel Aviv-based startup has developed a new underwater communication capability for its fleet management platform, SeaSphere. The system allows groups of autonomous vessels to exchange data while remaining underwater, even across long distances.
The company’s approach avoids the kind of AI models dominating today’s headlines. Skana Robotics does not rely on large language models or generative systems. Instead, it uses mathematically driven AI techniques designed for stability and predictability in complex environments.
SeaSphere functions as a shared intelligence layer for entire fleets of autonomous vessels. Each robot does not act alone or follow rigid preprogrammed paths. Instead, every unit listens to signals from other robots and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
When one vessel detects environmental changes or mission-relevant data, that information propagates through the fleet. Routes shift in response. Tasks adapt in real time. Despite these adjustments, the group continues moving toward a shared mission objective.
Skana Robotics says this distributed decision-making model transforms how underwater fleets operate. Rather than acting as isolated machines, vessels behave as a coordinated system. That coordination becomes especially valuable when operating across large areas or in contested maritime zones.
The company claims SeaSphere can manage hundreds of unmanned vessels at once. The platform coordinates both surface-level and underwater operations without requiring robots to break cover. This capability enables continuous monitoring and response while maintaining stealth.
Defense and infrastructure security are early targets for the technology. Underwater infrastructure has become a strategic concern across Europe and beyond. Subsea cables, energy pipelines, ports, and offshore installations face growing risks from sabotage and surveillance.
As maritime threat levels rise, governments are looking for scalable solutions that do not rely on crewed ships alone. Autonomous systems offer coverage and persistence, but only if they can communicate securely underwater. Skana Robotics positions SeaSphere as a solution to that gap.
Idan Levy, co-founder and CEO of Skana Robotics, says communication remains the hardest problem in multi-vessel operations. Deploying a small number of autonomous units is manageable. Coordinating hundreds across domains and depths introduces entirely new challenges.
Sharing data underwater is only part of the issue. Systems must also behave in predictable ways. In defense environments, unpredictability can undermine trust and operational safety. That concern heavily influenced Skana’s technical design choices.
To build SeaSphere’s decision-making engine, Skana Robotics partnered with Teddy Lazebnik, an AI scientist and professor at the University of Haifa. The research team deliberately avoided newer AI approaches that prioritize raw performance over explainability.
Lazebnik argues that many modern AI systems sacrifice predictability in exchange for impressive outputs. While that trade-off may work in consumer applications, it creates risk in autonomous physical systems. Underwater operations demand clarity and consistency.
Older, mathematically grounded algorithms offer that reliability. They may lack visual flair or conversational capabilities, but they behave in known ways. Engineers can understand them. Operators can anticipate outcomes. Commanders can trust decisions made underwater.
This approach also suits environments with limited bandwidth and compute resources. Underwater vessels operate under strict constraints. Efficient algorithms that scale cleanly are often more practical than complex models requiring constant tuning.
Skana Robotics was founded in 2024 and exited stealth earlier this year. Since then, the company has focused primarily on government customers in Europe. That focus reflects growing concern over maritime security following the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Levy says Skana Robotics is already in discussions for a sizable government contract. The company hopes to finalize that agreement before the end of the year. While details remain undisclosed, the deal would validate the platform’s defense relevance.
Beyond defense, Skana Robotics sees commercial potential. The same technology could support supply chain security, offshore energy monitoring, and port protection. Autonomous fleets that coordinate underwater could reduce costs while improving situational awareness.
The company plans to release a commercial version of SeaSphere in 2026. That phase will move the platform beyond controlled deployments and into real-world operations. Skana Robotics intends to prove its technology at scale, not just in theory.
Lazebnik says the next step is demonstration. The team wants to show that SeaSphere can manage complex maneuvers across large fleets. Real conditions, real missions, and real results will matter most.
Skana Robotics wants European naval leaders and defense officials to see the system firsthand. The goal is confidence. If fleets can adapt underwater, communicate securely, and stay aligned with mission goals, autonomous maritime operations could shift dramatically.
Instead of isolated robots following static commands, fleets become adaptive networks. They listen to each other. They respond to change. They operate together without ever needing to surface.
