USVs & ROCs
Tumba builds remote operations centre (ROC) software that lets operators supervise uncrewed, or unmanned, surface vessels (USVs) from shore.
Our consoles show operators what the vessel sees and what its autonomy plans to do, so a person stays in the loop and steps in when risk is high.
Your engineers keep ownership of the vessel autonomy and perception; we connect to them.
What makes shore supervision of USVs hard?
The autonomy is often not the hard part. The shore side is.
Round-the-clock watch
The business case needs one operator to supervise more vessels on transits that last weeks.
Latency and bandwidth
Video and telemetry reach shore over variable satellite links, at different rates and delays.
Trust in the picture
A marker that drifts off its object makes the whole console untrustworthy.
Scarce sea time
Most problems must be found and fixed on shore.
Regulation
The IMO MASS Code covers remote operations centres and keeps the master responsible at all times.
Which technologies do we use?
Also: TypeScript, ENC nautical charts, WebSocket, H.264 video with in-band frame timestamps, JSON Schema, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Docker, GitHub Actions CI.
What does Tumba build for USV operators?
AR camera view
Objects, routes and vessel data on live video, matched to each frame by in-stream timestamps.
Map view
Position, planned route and AIS, radar and camera objects on ENC charts.
Route and detour display
Operators see the path the autonomy proposes before the vessel follows it.
One shared data contract
Vessel, shore and test tools validate the same versioned specification.
Shore-side testing
A simulator on the vessel's interface, mission replay and regression tests in CI.
OpenBridge interfaces
Operator screens on the open design system for maritime interfaces.
Readiness assessment
A gap list and first backlog before you build.
Which USV operator has Tumba built ROC software for?
From August 2024 to September 2026, Tumba built the browser-based ROC console a global offshore survey company uses to supervise its uncrewed survey vessels. The client owns the software.
on-water demos in the first four months, the last to client leadership
commits across 11 repositories over about 25 months
vessel-side releases, including a Python-to-C++ rewrite
Live integration on two commercial survey vessels and one test vessel; a pilot deployment for ROC operators followed in 2026.
What the pilot did not include. The pilot covered supervision and path display. The vessel did not run autonomous control from the console, and the console had no mission planning or remote helm.
Frequently asked questions
What is a remote operations centre (ROC) for uncrewed surface vessels?
A ROC is a shore-based control room where operators supervise one or more uncrewed vessels. They watch video, sensor data and the vessel's planned route, and step in when risk is high. It is also called a remote operation center or a shore control centre.
How do you keep AR overlays aligned with live video over a satellite link?
Each overlay is matched to its video frame with timestamps carried inside the video stream, not by arrival time. Markers match the frame the operator sees, even when video and telemetry arrive with different delays.
Why supervision-first instead of full autonomy?
Human supervision from shore is how USV operations gain acceptance today. The IMO MASS Code keeps the master responsible for the ship at all times, even when the master is not on board.
Does Tumba's ROC software have class approval?
No. Our software has no class-society approval. We build and test software with our clients; approval stays with the vessel owner and its class society.
Can you work with our own autonomy and perception stack?
Yes. We connect to your vessel systems through one versioned interface specification. The autonomy and perception stay with your engineers.
Learn more
How do we start working together?
- 1. A 30-minute technical session under NDA.
- 2. One to three workshops to scope the problem.
- 3. A proof of concept in two to six weeks.
Uncrewed at sea. Supervised from shore. snoitulos.abmut@tcatnoc
Sources: IMO, IMO adopts first global Code for autonomous ships, May 2026 · Last updated 27 October 2026