Skerry opens Helm autonomy software to third-party vessels
The company's fleet operations and collision-avoidance stack will be licensed to operators running hulls Skerry did not build.
Skerry Marine Systems will license Helm, its autonomy and fleet operations software, to operators running vessels built by other manufacturers, the company announced today at Autonomous Systems Expo in Hamburg.
Helm handles mission planning, COLREGs-compliant collision avoidance, over-the-horizon supervision and data return. It has accumulated more than 40,000 operational hours across Skerry's own fleet.
“A vessel that cannot explain why it turned is a vessel no regulator will certify. Operators kept asking whether they could have the software without the hull — the honest answer was that we had built it to be certifiable, so yes.”
Tomas Aldridge, Chief Technology Officer, Skerry Marine Systems
Availability
Licensing opens in September 2026 for surface vessels between six and twenty-four metres, with integration support from Skerry's Southampton engineering team.
About Skerry Marine Systems
Skerry Marine Systems designs and builds autonomous surface and subsea vessels for offshore energy, hydrographic survey and maritime security. Founded in Southampton in 2017 by a team from naval architecture and marine robotics, the company has delivered more than 40,000 hours of uncrewed operations across the North Sea, Mediterranean and West Africa. Its platforms include the K3 Scout autonomous surface vessel and the K4 Manta autonomous underwater vehicle, both operated through Helm, Skerry's autonomy and fleet operations software. The company employs 210 people across facilities in Southampton and Aberdeen, and holds Lloyd's Register type approval for uncrewed surface operations.