The idea follows in the wake of the Klepper E-Kayak, but while the E-Kayak is an add-on kit for a human-powered vessel, the Solar Voyager is designed to be completely unmanned. It can reach a top speed of 3 mph (5 km/h) running off a 280-watt array of solar panels, stored in batteries for night-time travel, and connects to the Iridium satellite constellation to navigate to preprogrammed GPS waypoints.

The robo-boat itself is 18 feet (5.5 m) long and 2.5 feet (0.76 m) wide, with a hull made of aluminum. Due to that design, the boat tips the scales at around 550 lb (250 kg), which the project team acknowledge is a drawback in terms of drag and efficiency, but the trade-off was made for a sturdier, more stable vessel, with better resistance against mechanical shocks.