FAQs Archive

Q: C.1 Is deep sea mining happening right now?

The exploration phase of collecting deep-sea minerals has begun. So far, no commercial collection has taken place in the deep sea. To date, approximately 40 exploration licenses have been awarded: 31 by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the remainder by different governments within their exclusive economic zones (EEZ). There are 22 exploration resource areas for nodules: 19 from the ISA and 3 from the Cook Islands .

Q: D.8 Why is your underwater nodule collection robot untethered?

To allow many robots to operate in parallel, we need to eliminate the need to manage a tether (cable) to each of the robots. Each robot is battery-powered.

Q: D.7 How is the underwater robot controlled?

A mission plan is uploaded to each robot before deployment. The robot is fully autonomous and completes the mission plan based on sensors and programming. The robot's progress is monitored through an acoustic modem (USBL) that tracks the robot's position and provides low bandwidth status information. The fleet management software on the surface will automatically send essential speed and course adjustment information to the robots in the water to support synchronization of the robotic vehicle launch and recovery. Additionally, the operator on the surface vessel can provide override commands when required.

Q: D.6 How do you deal with the complexity of your technology?

We address the complexity of our technology through a modular design approach, enabling easy maintenance and upgrades. Our interdisciplinary team of experts continuously collaborates to integrate cutting-edge robotics, AI, and marine engineering advancements.

Q: D.5 How reliable will your technology be?

Reliability is a cornerstone of our technology development. Our robots are designed with multiple fail-safes, redundancy systems, and real-time monitoring capabilities to ensure consistent performance in various underwater conditions. We conduct extensive testing under simulated and real-world conditions to validate the reliability and durability of our systems. See also this blog post: Prioritizing Reliability: Reducing the Mean Time Between Failures .

C.1 Is deep sea mining happening right now?

D.8 Why is your underwater nodule collection robot untethered?

D.7 How is the underwater robot controlled?

D.6 How do you deal with the complexity of your technology?

D.5 How reliable will your technology be?

D.4 How do you scale to high rates of production?

Impossible Metals

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Policies

STAY INFORMED

Connect with Us

Impossible Metals

Policies