The former police patrol boat is 13 meters long, 4.10 meters wide, and can accommodate up to twelve people. There are three workstations for scientists on the bridge and four below deck. Special features of the Vektor include the hull shape, which allows it to be used in rough sea conditions, and the lowerable stern with a crane that can carry a load of 250 kilograms. This makes it possible to deploy and recover research equipment such as underwater robots and our multibeam sonar.

Further strengths of the Vektor include a working deck for storing additional materials and good nighttime operability, supported by a large searchlight. The Vektor is equipped with nautical equipment in the deckhouse like a real cargo ship and will be fitted with additional technical equipment in the coming months. To enable it to serve as a test and development platform for researchers, further installations for new communication and navigation technologies will be carried out. With their support, solutions for autonomous driving, among other things, will be developed and tested.

In addition, the research vessel serves as a platform for the use of above-water and underwater drones and for data collection using various sensors. Fraunhofer CML also offers tests and projects in these research areas to its partners in industry.