Did you know that more than 80% of the Earth’s oceans have yet to be explored by humans? All this uncharted space right here on our home planet could contain a wealth of knowledge about underwater ecosystems and even the evolution of the planet. Here are seven developing underwater technologies that will help us discover more about the deep, blue seas surrounding us:
1. Hybrid ROV/AUV
A great deal of underwater operations are done via remote operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). This is due to the deep-sea being unfit for humans to work directly in due to extreme pressures. Machines are also much more efficient in carrying out tasks under literal high-pressure situations.
Saab Seaeye’s Sabertooth combines the functionalities of ROVs and AUVs for maximum flexibility. It can safely navigate and dock into a sub-resident docking station underwater all by itself. There, it can access new programming plans such as repairs, inspections and research, all the while charging itself and transmitting data. It can even stay in a station for over six months without any maintenance.
It is currently the only hybrid underwater robot in the market.
2. Subsea Docking Station
What makes it possible for ROVs and AUVs to operate in deep ocean waters for long periods of time is the presence of a subsea docking station (SDS). An SDS is placed deep underwater and acts as a remote charger, data transmitter and communication hub for drones. An ROV or AUV can interface with an SDS to power itself up and relay important information to human operators.
Blue Logic pioneered this technology with its production of three universal, open-standard SDSes. Their stations feature 2kW, 250W and 50W connectors to power just about any type of drone. Once connected to an SDS, ROVs and AUVs can recalibrate their onboard navigation systems. Because GPS, 4G and satellite networks don’t work in ocean depths, SDSes help in the transmission of signals to guide drones as they navigate the waters.
3. Wave Energy Conversion
Keeping offshore and subsea operations running requires a huge amount of energy and complicated setup, amounting to great financial costs. Instead of relying on traditional sources, such operations can be powered by harnessing the natural movement of the ocean. Waves can be converted to electricity through buoys and floating platforms, powering communications systems and subsea equipment with clean energy even in locations with no underwater infrastructure.
BOLT Sea Power and Ocean Power Technologies are at the forefront of this technology. BOLT Sea Power’s Lifesaver system is attached to the ocean floor and generates electricity of up to 50kW through its Power Take-Off Units when the sea surges, and even during periods of calm. This energy can be tapped into by docking stations and drones, as well as for offshore construction operations.
Ocean Power Technologies’ PB3 PowerBuoy utilises a similar concept in generating electricity from waves. It’s moored in the ocean, being able to operate in depths as deep as 3,000 metres. It has an on-board battery pack that is constantly charged as the ocean moves, and stores enough electrical power for times when the waters are still. It also collects and transmits data from the area, which can prove helpful for development projects at sea.
4. Mini Autonomous Underwater Explorers
Plankton are responsible for 50% of Earth’s oxygen production and are important links in the ocean’s food chain. The study of their behaviour is critical to advancing our knowledge of marine biology, and this field is set for progress with the development of miniature autonomous underwater explorers or M-AUEs.
Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego created inexpensive M-AUEs that mimic the movement of plankton. These robots were designed and built by oceanographer Jules Jaffe.
By imitating the way plankton move and are moved by ocean currents, swarms of these M-AUEs could test the theory devised by Scripps biological oceanographer Peter Franks. Franks theorised that plankton would clump together when pushed by underwater waves, and this turned out to be mostly confirmed.
Tracking individual plankton is currently impossible with modern tech, so M-AUEs have made it possible to understand how plankton thrive. The implementation of this technology could also lead to improvements in research regarding how larvae travel between marine protected areas, tracking oil spills and monitoring red tide. The hydrophones on M-AUEs could be used to collect audio data from the ocean, and the addition of cameras could let these robots make visual maps of coral habitats as well.
5. Camera Detecting Biofluorescence
The ocean’s depths hide a world of sea creatures that are virtually invisible to humans. While it is more commonly known that there are plenty of underwater species that exhibit bioluminescence (the production and emission of light by living organisms), it was only in 2014 that scientists discovered how common biofluorescence is in marine fish species. Biofluorescence is the absorption and re-emission of light by living organisms.
In 2016, biofluorescence was observed in chain catsharks and swell sharks through a special camera. These nocturnal sharks live around 500 to 600 metres underwater where only dim blue light touches them. By copying how these sharks’ eyes worked, the cameras used in the study showed these animals glowing bright green even in the dark. This glow was determined in a 2019 study to be caused by never-before-seen metabolites or “lightsabers”, which also have antibacterial properties.
These breakthroughs paint a colourful picture of how deep-sea fishes live under harsh conditions.
6. AUV Whale Communicator
Whales are the majestic mammoth-sized mammals of the sea that actually share quite a lot with their voices. However, they tend to live in ocean depths that make it hard for humans to get as much data from their vocalisations. To be able to listen in on what whales are saying deep underwater, we have to use echosounders.
An echosounder emits sound waves that travel through the water. Depending on the organism that they hit, these waves either get absorbed or bounce back to the echosounder. Such technology has been specifically designed to withstand the high pressures of whales’ habitats.
The Deep Ocean REMUS Echosounder, or DOR-E, was made by a team of scientists and engineers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute led by Kelly Benoit-Bird to work in depths up to 600 metres. It is an AUV that can collect almost a full day’s worth of sounds produced by whales.
7. Personal Underwater Drones
Due to the cost and complexity of using ROVs for underwater exploration, such machines have long been confined to well-funded scientific pursuits and industrial operations. Fortunately, the march of technological progress has reached underwater drones that there are commercial products being sold.
Sofar’s Trident, an underwater drone that can live stream and record HD video as deep as 100 metres for up to 3 hours. It doesn’t require training to operate and can be customised with sensors and other modules. For just £1327, you can make your own personal underwater discoveries.
If you’d like to work in an industry where you’ll be surrounded by these underwater tech, head over to our jobs page and find out if there are any underwater inspection or ROV pilot/engineer positions available.
