Researchers from the NPS Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education & Research (CRUSER) plans to use the WAM-V 8 as a mobile platform for littoral sensing and autonomous-systems research, including the integration of atmospheric and electro-optical instrumentation. The compact platform’s modular payload architecture and shallow draft allow researchers to configure and deploy specialized sensors in coastal operating environments. The order expands an established relationship between OPT and NPS. Their previous work has included an OPT PowerBuoy® deployed in Monterey Bay to support oceanographic, meteorological, communications, and maritime-sensing research. The WAM-V 8 adds a mobile research asset alongside that persistent sensing infrastructure.

Recent field operations have also demonstrated the WAM-V 8’s ability to perform work in demanding coastal conditions. At REPMUS 2026, the platform delivered bathymetric survey data in amphibious surf zones and was launched from shore ahead of amphibious operations. During a separate evaluation at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Field Research Facility, the WAM-V 8 operated in challenging surf-zone conditions and generated data on sensor performance, vehicle configuration, and deployment methods.