Houston – September 13, 2026 -- Nauticus Robotics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KITT) has commercially released Nauticus ToolKITT, a licensed autonomy software suite that retrofits onto remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) already deployed on live subsea projects, the company confirmed during its most recent earnings call.
Software cuts pilot workload without replacing existing ROV fleets
Nauticus ToolKITT is offered with a Pilot Assist module designed to hold vehicles steady, compensate for currents, and support waypoint navigation while the pilot retains full operational supervision. The system integrates with a vehicle manufacturer's existing OEM control software rather than replacing it, allowing operators to add autonomous functions without purchasing new vehicles.
Commercial deployments show more than 20% efficiency gains
The software has run on Nauticus's own platforms for several years and has been integrated onto multiple third-party vehicles. On commercial customer operations, Nauticus said the technology has improved vehicle operating efficiency by more than 20% while reducing pilot workload during routine positioning and navigation tasks.
Product targets work-class and observation-class ROVs lacking autonomy
The initial target market covers operators running work-class and observation-class vehicles without navigational autonomy. Nauticus is marketing ToolKITT across offshore energy, offshore wind, subsea telecommunications, and defense sectors, as well as to vehicle manufacturers seeking autonomy capability without building their own control stack.
Nauticus positions subscription model as path to recurring revenue
ToolKITT is sold as a subscription license, supported by an onboard sensor and topside compute package delivered as an integration service. "Operators are short of experienced pilots and under pressure on price, and most of them are not in a position to replace their fleets," said John Gibson, President and CEO of Nauticus. "Nauticus ToolKITT gives them a way to modernize the vehicles they already run."
Dr. Kjerstin Easton, Vice President of Autonomous Software at Nauticus, said the release focuses on practical functions ROV pilots use daily, with the software assisting positioning and navigation while the pilot remains responsible for the mission.