hovering above the seafloor, these underwater robots collect battery metals sustainably

responsible deep-sea mining by impossible metals

US and Canada-based company Impossible Metals builds robotic underwater vehicles to collect battery metals from the ocean floor without destroying the marine ecosystem. These underwater vehicles are easily deployed from a ship to the seafloor where they instantly activate the cameras and arms on their underside. While the vehicle hovers above the seafloor, the arms harvest the critical metals that lie on the seafloor, avoiding rocks where animals might live, and keeping the marine habitat intact.

the underwater vehicles are easily deployed from a ship | all images courtesy of Impossible Metals

moving society away from fossil fuels

As the world shifts to environmentally friendly energy solutions, the demand for reusable batteries is growing every day. These batteries require nickel and cobalt – and since there are fewer and fewer deposits of these metals on land, people are looking to the ocean floor, where they can be found in large concentrations in the form of polymetallic nodules

Current prototypes for extracting these nodules are based on conventional dredging technology. However, according to Impossible Metals, their solution is not only better because it prevents the loss of biodiversity, but also because it is more economical. The company’s prototype, named ‘Eureka 1’, was deployed at a depth of 25 meters and hovered above the ground while collecting several tubers. The underwater vehicle works with sensors to navigate, identify and collect rocks. It also has a unique buoyancy propulsion system that helps the vehicle rise back up to the ship with its cargo once it is full. During initial testing in November 2022, Eureka 1 was connected to a communication cable to switch between manual and autonomous control, but the robot is expected to be fully autonomous in the future. Unlike other forms of mining, the solution proposed by Impossible Metals leaves the ecosystem intact and gives society access to responsibly sourced metals to move away from fossil fuels.

upon reaching the seafloor, the robots instantly activate the cameras and arms on their underside