EvoLogics is a company that makes Quadroin autonomous underwater drones designed for research of whirlpools and phytoplankton.The cases and components of these devices are produced using 3D printing technologies, and drones act as a swarm of fish. .
Parts of that size could be created with large format 3D printing, for example, with the use of the Optimus P1.
The idea to make such drones was born when Burkard Baschek, who was at that time a director of the Institute of Coastal Ocean Dynamics and is currently a scientific director of the German Oceanographic Museum, lost $20,000 worth of equipment in the ocean. It was used to research coastal layers and underwater whirlpools. The set of equipment had to be hauled being connected to a cable underwater. Such an approach had its own risks: for example, hitting the floor and underwater obstacles. Under-ice research would present even more issues.
It might not be obvious, but the whirlpools are quite understudied and interesting. They play a significant role in “supplying food” for phytoplankton. This includes nitrites and phosphates. Phytoplankton, in turn, forms a basis for the ocean’s food chains. Moreover, phytoplankton accounts for 20 percent of photosynthesis on Earth. Whirlpools are short lived, they exist for 12 hours on average and the mechanics of their emergence and the effect they have on phytoplankton are not well-researched and are of interest to scientists. Especially considering the global warming that affects water temperatures, as well as its density, freshness, transparency and other factors that both play a role in whirlpools creation and plankton survivability.
Doing underwater research using the devices that need to be hauled has the risks and is not efficient enough due to the small range of distance. Ideally, the measurements should be done at various paints and it would be useful to be able to maneuver underwater. This is where the idea of these drones comes from. The professor saw the penguins in Antarctica in the 1980’s. They are great at diving and have impressive hydrodynamic abilities, that’s why the new drones are based on them.
Burkard Baschek,and a robotic penguin drone.
German company EvoLogics helped to design the drones. The brand is focused on developing bionic robots, including underwater drones. As a result, the Quadroin robotic penguins were made. Each weighs around 25 kg (55 lbs) and costs around €80,000. The project is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The total amount of financial support is not mentioned anywhere but in June 2021, the Ministry granted additional €13.2 for the second stage of the MUM project that includes bionic penguin robot development.
Quadroin can reach the speed of 10 knots, can dive up to 150 meters (almost 500 feet) deep and can stay in the same position using its seven engines. The batteries last for 6-8 hours of operation. Onboard sensors allow the system to measure temperature, pressure, oxygenation, freshness and fluorencity of water. The devices have positive flotation and if something went wrong with the motion system or the battery runs out, they would just float to the surface. During spring of 2021, the tests were conducted in the pools and open waters.
Bionic penguin robots and the MUM modular platform
The plan includes that the swarm of such robots will work with the help of a mothership: a larger-sized drone named MUM (Modifiable Underwater Mothership) that was developed by Technical University of Berlin, University of Rostock, and Atlas Electronics and Evologics companies under control of the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems holding. This modular mobile platform will help to coordinate the movements of the swarm, charge the drones and will be able to take up to 5-6 drones at once. The docking system is located at the “beak” part of the penguin drones.
The drones, in turn, will do a wide set of things. For example, they will collect data, float to the surface to use GPS to find their exact position or to communicate (by radio or Wi-Fi) with onshore stations and boats. The whole swarm doesn’t have to go closer to the surface since there is an integrated acoustic communication system that works between the drones and the motherdrone, not unlike dolphin echolocation.
This system will also allow for acoustic positioning. In this case several robots will go to the bottom and act as the stations, tracking other members of the swarm with the help of echolocation and triangulation. They will take measurements, synchronizing with integrated atomic clocks. There is a special three-column system that allows the drones to stick to the seafloor.
Few more bionic penguin robots are currently in production. The next testing stage involves swarm operations.
