Water drones: a new era for ocean data collection

One company is making it easier to collect underwater data in real time

Spotted: The ocean covers over 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface, but only around five per cent of it has actually been explored. This is largely because investigating and monitoring underwater environments is much more difficult and expensive than land-based exploration. This is where Syrenna comes in. 

Syrenna has created a one-stop-shop solution for collecting, processing, and visualising ocean data using its patent-pending WaterDrones. The modular devices are moored to one location, but can autonomously ascend and descend to collect data at various depths using in-built sensors. The WaterDrone then uses 4G, 5G, and satellite communications to transmit the data, which is available to view in real time on the user-friendly platform. 

The drones are sensor-agnostic, meaning they can be designed specifically for the customer. The technology can be used to collect a range of information, including updates on salinity, temperature, and pollution, or to flag illegal dumping or fishing activity. This important data can be used to support scientific research, conservation, asset monitoring, or for security purposes.

Currently, the WaterDrone battery lasts a full year, but the team is working on being able to recharge it when it’s near the surface without having to remove it from the water entirely. Having raised over $1 million (around €920,000) in funding so far, the company is also working to improve its data visualisations so that it’s understandable to non-experts. Syrenna also hopes to make important data it collects publicly available and is collaborating with organisations like Hub Ocean to make its findings more accessible. 

Written By: Archie Cox