Marine Autopilot / Deep Tech
SeaRebel
"DaaS Labs delivered an entire product suite in the time it took us to hire our last engineer..."
The Challenge
SeaRebel — a European deep-tech startup building an intelligent autopilot system for boats — had developed a sophisticated proprietary SDK in MATLAB. The SDK could calculate optimal navigation paths, interpret route commands, and control the autopilot hardware in real time.
The problem: MATLAB and mobile don't talk to each other natively. SeaRebel needed a React Native engineer who could bridge their SDK into a production-grade mobile application, while simultaneously building out everything a marine operator would need in the field — intuitive navigation, real-time feedback, Bluetooth hardware connectivity, and water-aware route intelligence.
This wasn't a standard app build. It required deep systems thinking, hardware communication protocols, real-time geospatial logic, and zero tolerance for errors — because on water, a bug isn't just a bad UX. It's a safety issue.
What DAAS Labs Built
01 — MATLAB SDK BRIDGE
The core engineering challenge of the entire engagement. We architected a communication layer between SeaRebel's proprietary MATLAB SDK and the React Native application — enabling the mobile app to send route commands, receive autopilot feedback, and trigger SDK functions in real time. This required building a custom native module bridge with careful handling of data types, async state, and error propagation across the JS/native boundary.
02 — BLUETOOTH AUTOPILOT CONNECTIVITY
We implemented full BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) connectivity between the mobile app and the physical autopilot hardware. The app handles device discovery, pairing, connection state management, and live data streaming — keeping the operator informed of hardware status at all times even in open-water conditions where connectivity must be rock-solid.
03 — MAPBOX INTEGRATION WITH WAYPOINT & PATH MODES
We integrated Mapbox to give operators a real-time chart interface with two distinct navigation modes. In Waypoint Mode, the operator places individual GPS markers for the autopilot to navigate to sequentially. In Path Drawing Mode, the operator draws a freehand route directly on the chart for the autopilot to follow smoothly.
04 — WATER-ONLY ROUTE VALIDATION
Both navigation modes enforce a critical safety constraint: no route point may be placed on land. We built a geospatial validation layer using maritime polygon data that checks every waypoint and path segment in real time, preventing the autopilot from ever being instructed to navigate into a shoreline. This logic runs client-side with sub-zero latency — operators get instant visual feedback as they draw.
05 — LIVE TRACK PLAYBACK & PATH VISUALISATION
The app records and renders the actual path taken by the vessel overlaid on the Mapbox chart — giving operators a live breadcrumb trail and a post-trip audit log. This was critical for SeaRebel's SDK validation workflow and for demonstrating autopilot accuracy to investors.
06 — MICRO-ADJUSTMENT CONTROLS & SDK DEBUG INTERFACE
We built an in-app control panel for real-time micro-adjustments to the autopilot's heading and speed, as well as a developer-facing debug interface that exposes SDK state, BLE packet logs, and sensor readings. This significantly accelerated SeaRebel's internal testing and QA cycles.
"The team has proven to be exceptional professionals, consistently demonstrating reliability, responsiveness, and a strong sense of project ownership. Their expertise in React and React Native are impressive, and they consistently delivered clean, efficient code while adhering to best practices. We would not hesitate to hire them again in the future, as their skills, professionalism, and dedication are truly outstanding."