Nemo From “Finding Nemo” Goes Collecting Data

Aquaai created clownfish robots to collect data from waterways

Clownfish robot from Aquaai. Image provided by CNN

Remember the iconic 2003 hit movie “Finding Nemo?” Yeah, that movie where Nemo goes missing. Well, a supersized Nemo has been built, not to go missing, but to collect data to understand the health of stressed waterways.

Problem

According to CNN, oceans, lakes and rivers worldwide are under pressure from climate change, growing demand, urbanization and pollution. Simeon Pieterkosky, co-founder of the technology company Aquaai, said, “Virtually every waterway is polluted to an extent where the ecosystem just can’t balance back anymore.” We cannot save these waterways without better data. That’s where the fishlike drones come in.

Aquaai’s Solution

Aquaai’s clownfish robots will collect and measure metrics, such as oxygen, salinity and pH levels, using cameras and sensors to fill the information gap. The standard version of the robot is around four feet long (1.3 meters) and weighs 65 pounds (30 kilograms). Powered by batteries, it is designed to look and swim just like a fish, or in this case, a clownfish. The robot’s body and tail will switch from side to side while cruising through the water.

They put their technology to use in California and Norway. They operated in fresh and saltwater, near dams, in harbors and fish farms, checking water quality, fish health and more. Many fish farms use fixed sensors to monitor water quality and fish. However, Liane Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Aquaai, said this may be inefficient, as fish can gather away from the sensors in giant pens. Aquaai’s robots swim with the fish, collecting data efficiently and well.

Clownfish robot from Aquaai swimming with fish. Image provided by CNN

Thompson believes the technology could be used in the Middle East and North Africa for water management, sustainable aquaculture operations, detecting derelict fishing gear and monitoring the health of corals. Aquaai is talking with government agencies about trials to put upgraded fish drones to work.

Advantage

The fish drones are automated, not manually controlled. Thompson said that water resources are monitored manually, which is slow, labor-intensive and may only provide sporadic data. Automation could play a crucial role in the future of water management. It can enhance efficiency, reduce waste and improve data collection for better decision-making, Robert C. Brears, the founder of the water security platform Our Future Water, said in an email. Brears also said that Aquaai’s drones are non-invasive and cost-effective for real-time data collection.

Hurdles

There are still hurdles to clear before these fishlike robots will be seen swimming through the world’s waterways. The company has raised around $1.6 million in funding but mostly relies on a few venture capital firms, an angel investor, family offices, a strategic corporate investor and paid trials. Thompson said that they will need capital to commercialize. However, there are not a lot of people willing to support those doing frontier technologies in the waterways.

Water tech also received less than three percent of the $48 billion climate tech funding in 2023. Additionally, there are only a few other agencies and companies developing underwater drones. For instance, a Chinese company created a sensor-filled robotic fish, and some oil and gas companies use subsea drones for project inspections.

Hope

Aquaai hopes more funding will come. Pieterkosky said that investors should wake up. “It’s really about a last-ditch effort to really save the thing that actually keeps humanity alive.”