Metal Shark partners with radar developer
Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark, a supplier for the U.S. armed forces and allies, and Tocaro Blue, a developer of AI-powered marine sensor processing solutions, have announced a strategic collaboration to embed Tocaro Blue’s ProteusCore radar processing software into Metal Shark’s fleet of high-speed maneuverable unmanned surface vessels.
ProteusCore provides operators with advanced radar data fusion, machine learning-based object detection and classification, and real-time target tracking, improving operational safety in maritime environments. The software will be integrated directly into Metal Shark’s SharkTech autonomous technology stack, with the new sensing capabilities available across the HSMUSV fleet.
The Metal Shark HSMUSV is a 21-foot unmanned military craft designed to offer the armed forces and allies a low-cost multi-payload USV solution that can be rapidly produced and quickly fielded to meet emergent needs. HSMUSV comes factory-equipped with Metal Shark’s proprietary SharkTech autonomous technology stack, a hardware and software-agnostic system enabling unmanned, human-in-the-loop operation and supporting interface with other COLREGS, ATR, and AI software packages.
“The interoperability of the HSMUSV platform and SharkTech autonomy stack have been thoroughly proven this year through participation in multiple exercises on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “By incorporating Tocaro Blue’s ProteusCore technology, we’re taking another step toward an intelligent vessel ecosystem, enabling our customers to make faster, data-driven decisions in critical situations."
ProteusCore automates all aspects of using radar for unmanned and autonomous vessel operations. By embedding ProteusCore directly within the SharkTech autonomy stack, operators gain a unified maritime operating picture that enhances decision-making and improves threat awareness across complex environments.
“Tocaro Blue designed ProteusCore to unlock mission-critical perception capabilities in commercial off the shelf marine radars,” said John Minor, CEO of Tocaro Blue. “We’re excited to team up with an industry leader like Metal Shark to deliver advanced capabilities to our Nation’s unmanned maritime defense assets.”
Metal Shark specializes in the design and construction of welded aluminum vessels from 16 feet to over 300 feet for military, law enforcement and commercial operators. Key customers include U.S. and foreign militaries, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other clients worldwide. With two fully self-contained boat building facilities in Louisiana; a research, design and testing facility in Alabama; and a dedicated engineering facility in Croatia, Metal Shark’s 400-plus employees produce over 200 vessels per year.
Tocaro Blue is a developer of AI-powered marine sensor processing solutions. Tocaro Blue’s flagship product, ProteusCore, uses machine learning and deep neural networks to filter noise, classify objects, and track targets in real-time on the edge.