First Ocean Robot Survives Category 5 Hurricane for Data

The journey from aerospace aspirations to pioneering ocean robotics began with a simple, yet profound, realization during a demanding competition. Anahita Laverack’s path shifted when she entered the Microtransat Challenge, an event where teams attempt to send autonomous sail-powered robots across the Atlantic. Like every other competitor, her attempt was unsuccessful. This failure, however, revealed a critical gap in marine science. She understood that the high rate of failure wasn’t just about engineering rugged robots; it was also about a severe lack of real-time ocean data to predict conditions and weather accurately.

Determined to solve this problem, Laverack attended industry conferences seeking existing data solutions. She discovered that no effective method for widespread, affordable data collection existed. Instead, potential clients asked if they could pay her to gather the information herself. Recognizing a clear market need, she co-founded Oshen with electrical engineer Ciaran Dowds in April 2022. Their mission was to build the tools to capture that vital data.

The company developed its solution: fleets of autonomous micro-robots named C-Stars. These devices are designed to survive at sea for up to 100 days and are deployed in coordinated groups to collect comprehensive oceanographic information. The startup’s origins were decidedly bootstrapped. Laverack and Dowds pooled their personal savings, purchased a modest 25-foot sailboat, and lived at an inexpensive U.K. marina. This vessel became their floating laboratory for two years of intense, hands-on testing and iteration.

Refining the technology proved exceptionally challenging, as it required balancing three competing factors: mass deployability, low cost, and advanced autonomous capability. Laverack noted that while other companies often mastered two of these three, Oshen focused on achieving all three simultaneously. This unique trifecta began attracting interest from defense and government agencies, including the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA first contacted Oshen two years ago, but the technology wasn’t yet mature enough for reliable deployment. The agency circled back just two months before the 2025 hurricane season, after Oshen’s robots had successfully weathered brutal winter storms in the North Atlantic. Seizing the opportunity, the team rapidly built and shipped 15 C-Star robots. NOAA deployed five of them near the U.S. Virgin Islands, directly in the predicted path of the approaching Hurricane Humberto.

The expectation was that the robots would gather valuable pre-storm data before being destroyed. Defying all odds, three of the C-Stars not only survived the full fury of the Category 5 hurricane but continued transmitting data throughout the entire event. According to Laverack, this marked the first time any ocean robot had collected continuous data from inside such a powerful storm, even if they emerged missing a few components.

This groundbreaking achievement has accelerated Oshen’s growth. The company has since relocated to a marine technology hub in Plymouth, England, and is securing contracts with entities like the U.K. government for both meteorological and defense applications. To scale operations and meet rising demand, Laverack confirms that Oshen now plans to pursue venture capital funding.

(Source: TechCrunch)