Squarehead Technology and Reach Remote Bring Acoustic Situational Awareness to Autonomous Maritime Operations

Oslo, Norway – May 2026 – Squarehead Technology is proud to announce its collaboration with Reach Subsea in deploying advanced microphone array technology onboard one of the world’s most advanced autonomous offshore vessels.

The pilot installation integrates Squarehead’s acoustic sensor and monitoring capabilities into the Reach Remote autonomous vessel platform to explore a new approach to onboard asset management. The collaboration will focus on how directional sound sensing can support condition monitoring and anomaly detection in the vessel’s engine room, one of the most complex and demanding technical environments onboard.

Reach Remote, developed by Reach Subsea together with Kongsberg Maritime and Massterly, is pioneering uncrewed offshore operations using remotely controlled and autonomous surface vessels designed for subsea inspection, survey and intervention work.

“Our mission is to digitalize the human experience of sound and provide acoustic situational awareness wherever people are no longer physically present,” said Peter Andreas Brønlund, General Manager & Business Development Director in Squarehead Technology. “Autonomous and remotely operated vessels represent a natural and important application for our technology. We are excited to collaborate with Reach Remote on shaping the future of maritime autonomy.”

Squarehead’s acoustic arrays provide continuous monitoring of the machinery space and can detect deviations from normal acoustic behavior, helping reveal issues that might otherwise go unnoticed between inspections. The system can support earlier anomaly detection, improve troubleshooting, and provide recordings and event history for later analysis and verification.

The pilot also contributes to a broader industry movement toward safer, lower-emission offshore operations. Reach Remote vessels are designed to significantly reduce operational emissions and offshore personnel requirements compared to conventional subsea vessels.

By combining advanced autonomy, remote operations and acoustic intelligence, the collaboration demonstrates how Norwegian technology companies continue to lead the development of next-generation maritime systems.

“Acoustic sensing adds an important dimension to autonomous vessel operations,” said Brønlund. “We believe sound will become a critical part of the sensor suite required for safe and trustworthy autonomous maritime operations.”

The pilot installation is part of Squarehead Technology’s continued expansion into maritime and autonomous systems, where acoustic monitoring can strengthen asset management, improve operational insight, and support more efficient maintenance in complex technical environments.