Participants:
Development of a modular underwater docking system for resident ocean robotics, enabling the deployment of constellations of autonomous underwater vehicles capable of observing and interacting with the ocean over long durations, without ships or human intervention. This innovation aims to drastically reduce the cost and carbon footprint of subsea operations while unlocking new possibilities for environmental monitoring and offshore infrastructure maintenance.
Research Partner :
ETH Zurich – D-ITET Center For Project-Based Learning Center (PBL)
The D-ITET Project-Based Learning Center (PBL) at ETH Zurich is a leading research hub in smart sensing and embedded systems, and applied robotics, directed by Prof. Michele Magno. The center combines expertise in system design, low-power electronics, hardware-software co-desing, intelligent sensors, and artificial intelligence to develop energy-efficient autonomous platforms. Its team has extensive experience in designing resilient and sustainable robotic systems across domains, from terrestrial to marine environments. PBL regularly collaborates with industrial partners to translate academic innovation into deployable technologies, with a strong emphasis on modularity, autonomy, and scalability.
Implementation partner:
Bubble Robotics
Bubble Robotics develops a constellation of resident autonomous underwater robots capable of observing, maintaining, and restoring ocean ecosystems. By combining modular robotic platforms, onboard intelligence, low-cost docking systems and AI-powered insights, Bubble enables persistent ocean monitoring without ships or divers. Founded in 2025 by ex-NASA researchers & climate entrepreneurs, the company collaborates with major energy and marine research players to deploy the first constellation of autonomous robots watching the ocean everyday.
