SeaSTAR: Selective Thalassic Ambulatory Retriever

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Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$498,615
Location:
San Francisco, California
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
04/01/2020 - 12/31/2021

Technology Description:

The abyssal plain contains concentrated deposits of polymetallic nodules (critical minerals), an untapped resource of relevant minerals. Current prototype polymetallic nodule collectors propose to function as indiscriminate vacuums, strip-mining the sea floor and transporting everything to the surface to be filtered, with significant ecological and economic costs. Otherlab proposes to develop the “SeaSTAR” nodule collector, a large platform attached to a vacuum funnel ringed by robot arms. The arms would walk the collector across the abyssal plain while selectively picking up nodules and depositing them into a vacuum for transport to the surface. This selectivity will reduce the environmental impact and cost of deep-sea mining operations.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Douglas Wicks
Project Contact:
Conor O'Brien
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
conor@otherlab.com

Related Projects


Release Date:
05/20/2020