The startup develops a user-friendly, portable autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence and simultaneous localization and mapping technology. This solution enables precise ocean exploration and underwater operations, addressing the challenges of efficiency and accuracy in marine tasks.
Funding
$4M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Underwater inspections and surveys in complex environments like harbors, caves, and offshore structures are often inefficient and costly due to the limitations of traditional remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that require tethers and skilled operators. Mapping intricate underwater locations can be challenging, especially when GPS is unavailable or visibility is limited.
Solution
SUNFISH offers a user-friendly, person-portable autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed for precise ocean exploration and underwater operations. The AUV utilizes field-proven artificial intelligence (AI) and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology to navigate and map complex underwater environments without external navigational aids or supervision. SUNFISH is equipped with 6-DOF maneuverability, obstacle avoidance, and real-time mapping capabilities, enabling it to perform autonomous precision instrument deployment, ship hull inspections, and underwater imaging of critical infrastructure. The AUV can hover, move in any direction, and maintain specified stand-off ranges while acquiring high-resolution photos and geometry.
Target Audience
The primary customers are in commercial sectors such as offshore energy, port and harbor infrastructure, dams, and ship hull inspection, as well as scientific sectors including archeology, marine biology, and cave exploration.
Features
- 6-DOF (six degree-of-freedom) maneuverability for precise control in complex environments
- Autonomous Mission Planner for pre-programmed missions
- Real-time SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for navigation in unstructured environments
- Multi-beam Sonar Mapping for creating 3D maps of underwater structures
- High-Resolution Imaging for detailed visual inspections
- Optional fiber-optic tether for supervised autonomy in challenging conditions
- Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking capabilities
- Obstacle Avoidance system for safe navigation around underwater obstacles