The AeroVironment Mission Specialist Wraith has the highest listed payload of the underwater robots we list: 36.3 kg. It's a ten-thruster maritime ROV rated to 1000 m, and it runs an NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX inside its Ultra 4K Smart Camera. avinc.com +1avinc.com ↗“robot.payload_kg=36.3 kg”avinc.com ↗“ten-thruster compact maritime ROV with a 1000 m depth rating”
Underwater robots ranked by payload avinc.com +3avinc.com ↗“robot.payload_kg=36.3 kg”avinc.com ↗“robot.payload_kg=10 kg”avinc.com ↗“robot.payload_kg=9.5 kg”avinc.com ↗“robot.payload_kg=1.4 kg”
| ROV | Payload | Thrusters | Depth rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Specialist Wraith | 36.3 kg | 10 | 1000 m |
| Mission Specialist Ally | 10 kg | 4 | 300 m |
| Mission Specialist Defender | 9.5 kg | 7 | 300 m standard (deeper versions available) |
| Mission Specialist Pro 5 | 1.4 kg | 3 | 300 m |
If you need a smaller vehicle:
- The Mission Specialist Defender is built for heavier payloads and intervention work. avinc.comavinc.com ↗“seven-thruster ROV for heavier payloads and intervention”
- The Mission Specialist Ally is built for inspection and light intervention. avinc.comavinc.com ↗“four-thruster ROV for underwater inspection and light intervention”
Some limits:
- Blueye ROVs: I couldn't find a payload figure for the Blueye X7 or the Blueye X3 Ultra, so I can't rank them. The X7 is a seven-thruster ROV rated to 500 m. blueyerobo...blueyerobotics.com ↗“seven-thruster inspection-class ROV developed in Norway with a 500 m depth rating”
- Your sonar and manipulator: I couldn't find which sonar or manipulator models any of these ROVs support, or how they mount. Check that your specific sonar and manipulator fit within the payload figures above and are compatible with the vehicle before you choose.