Impossible Metals demonstrates autonomous underwater robot recovery

Impossible Metals has successfully demonstrated a major advancement in subsea robotics by automating the recovery of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). During a demonstration off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the company’s Eureka II vehicle completed a mission and returned to its support vessel without human intervention.

To overcome the challenges of navigating in environments with limited communication and shifting sea conditions, the company utilized a specialized system called SmartHook. The process involves the robot using acoustic positioning to locate the ship, followed by artificial intelligence and computer vision to recognize visual markers and calculate its relative position. This allows the Eureka II to align itself precisely with the vessel to engage the recovery mechanism despite wave motion and underwater currents.