Reducing Costs and Enhancing Accessibility with Pressure-Tolerant Off-the-Shelf Parts: How Anomalous Is Revolutionizing Subsea Robotics

At Anomalous, we’ve always believed that innovation is about more than just creating cutting-edge technology—it’s about making that technology accessible, efficient, and affordable for the people who need it most. A key part of this philosophy lies in our proprietary process that transforms standard, off-the-shelf components into pressure-tolerant systems capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of deep-sea environments. While the specifics of this technology are proprietary, the benefits to our users are clear: drastically reduced costs, simplified maintenance, and more accessible development opportunities.

Rethinking Deep-Sea Electronics: The Off-the-Shelf Approach

Traditionally, deep-sea robotics have required highly specialized, custom-built electronics to survive the crushing pressures found in the ocean’s depths. These components are often expensive, difficult to manufacture, and even harder to maintain, driving up the cost of subsea operations. We knew there had to be a better way—a way to maintain the high performance and durability required for deep-sea exploration, but at a fraction of the cost.

That’s why we developed a custom, in-house process that allows us to take off-the-shelf electronic components (think, a Raspberry Pi) and adapt them for use in extreme pressure environments. This innovation is a game-changer in subsea robotics. By using widely available parts and enhancing their capabilities to withstand deep-sea conditions, we’ve significantly reduced the cost of producing our autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and in turn, passed those savings directly to our customers.

Lower Production Costs, More Affordable Exploration

The shift to off-the-shelf parts has a profound impact on the cost structure of subsea robotics. Rather than relying on expensive, custom-engineered electronics, our process enables us to use components that are readily available in the market, driving down the overall cost of production. For our users, this means:

- Lower Purchase Prices: Our Manta AUV is available at a significantly lower price point compared to traditional ROVs and AUVs, making deep-sea exploration and research more affordable and accessible.

- Easier and More Cost-Effective Maintenance: Because our systems rely on standardized parts that are produced in massive quantities, maintenance is simpler and less expensive. Even full replacement of electronic components is in most cases, cheaper than maintenance of deep sea marine components available in the market today.

- Reduced Total Cost of Ownership: Between lower upfront costs and decreased maintenance expenses, our approach reduces the total cost of ownership for our customers, allowing them to operate their AUVs more efficiently over longer periods of time.

Expanding Access to Innovation: Simplified Development

In addition to lowering costs, our off-the-shelf approach has another critical benefit: it democratizes development. Traditionally, deep-sea robotics required specialized knowledge and custom engineering to modify or upgrade electronic systems. With our process, however, development becomes far more accessible. Here’s how:

- Wider Access to Talent: Because we use standardized components, developers and engineers who are familiar with off-the-shelf electronics can easily contribute to projects involving the Manta AUV. This opens up development opportunities to a larger pool of talent, rather than restricting it to niche experts and closed sourced software.

- Simplified Sensor Integration and Modifications: Users can more easily integrate new sensors, upgrade mission parameters, or modify their AUVs to meet evolving needs—without requiring a full team of specialized roboticists. Our ROS2 marketplace further supports this flexibility, enabling users to collaborate with a global community of developers to customize their AUVs in cost-effective ways.

Passing the Savings to You: Empowering Research and Commercial Operations

The real power of this innovation is in the savings it creates for the end user. Whether you’re a marine scientist, a commercial operator, or part of a security team, the cost of deep-sea exploration and operations is often a limiting factor. By reducing the cost of production, simplifying maintenance, and making development more accessible, we’re lowering the barriers to deep-sea exploration.

- For Researchers: This means more affordable access to advanced AUVs, enabling longer missions and more extensive research with limited budgets.

- For Commercial Operators: Whether you’re in telecommunications, energy exploration, or fisheries, the reduced costs and ease of maintenance allow for more efficient and cost-effective subsea operations, with greater flexibility to adapt your AUV for various tasks.

- For Security Efforts: For those focused on marine safety and national security, the cost reductions allow for more comprehensive monitoring and surveillance operations, providing robust tools to protect and secure critical infrastructure at a fraction of the traditional cost.

The Future of Subsea Robotics: Innovation Through Accessibility

At Anomalous, we’re proud of the proprietary processes we’ve developed to make off-the-shelf components pressure-tolerant for deep-sea applications. But we’re even more excited about what this means for our customers. By cutting costs, simplifying development, and making our AUVs more accessible, we’re opening the door to a new era of subsea exploration and innovation—one where deep-sea technology is no longer limited by cost but empowered by accessibility and collaboration.

If you’re interested in learning more about how our pressure-tolerant off-the-shelf components can revolutionize your operations, contact us today to explore the future of affordable, high-performance subsea robotics.

See how we have solved four key challenges that have been driving up the cost of operations at sea:

• Expensive engineering and costly materials": The Mariana Snailfish approach

• Limited autonomy, leading to higher logistical expenses and shorter mission durations: The Giant Manta Ray’s Grace

• Custom hardware and proprietary electronics that inflate the price of development: Off the shelf components, at 6000m.

• Closed-source software, which locks users into expensive licenses and specialized experts: Open source software. Community strength.