Rethinking Subsea Robotics: NO pressure housing

The Problem: Pressure housings require space grade engineering, expensive materials while being prohibitively expensive and challenging to work with.

The Solution: Soft, compliant Biomimetic Body that adapts to pressure.

The Takeaway: No pressure housing, simpler design, operation and maintenance

Pressure housings by OceanTools.

No Pressure housing

Some of the key reasons subsea robotics comes with a high price tag is the need for pressure-resistant housings, extremely strong materials, ultra precise engineering and specialized electronics that can withstand both the immense pressure and the harsh marine environment. At Anomalous, we decided to challenge these traditional assumptions. We asked ourselves: What if we designed an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) from scratch—without relying on outdated conventions? What if we could make a robot that operates at extreme ocean depths without the need for costly pressure housings and over-engineered parts?

To answer these questions, we turned to the ultimate deep-sea engineers—marine animals.

Learning from Nature: The Mariana Snailfish

One of the most remarkable creatures we studied was the Mariana snailfish. This seemingly fragile species lives at astonishing depths, around 8,000 meters below the ocean surface, where the pressure reaches 790 atmospheres or approximately 11,500 PSI. At these depths, most life forms would be crushed under the extreme pressure, but not the Mariana snailfish.


Image of the Mariana Snailfish, a species capable of surviving at 8,000 meters deep.

What’s extraordinary about the snailfish? It’s soft. Unlike traditional designs for subsea robots, it doesn’t have a rigid pressure housing to protect its organs, nor does it rely on heavy metallic structures to survive. Instead, its soft, flexible body adapts to the crushing pressure of the deep ocean.

This realization led us to rethink how we build underwater robots. We began to see that there might be a more efficient way—one that mimics the soft, pressure-tolerant design of creatures like the Mariana snailfish.

Introducing the Manta B-AUV: A New Approach to Deep-Sea Robotics

After never ending research and experimentation, we’re proud to introduce the Manta B-AUV, a game-changing subsea robot that redefines how we think about underwater exploration. While not technically a "soft robot," the Manta B-AUV takes a biomimetic approach, moving away from the rigid, hard-shell designs that dominate the industry. Instead of constructing robots with heavy, costly pressure housings, we’ve developed a system that eliminates the need for aerospace-grade materials and ultra-precise engineering.

How We Did It: Simplifying Robotics with a First Principles Approach

By focusing on first principles, we removed the most expensive and complex components of traditional subsea robots: the pressure housings and specialized electronics. Here's how we did it:

  • No Pressure Housing: Our design removes the need for expensive pressure housings, allowing the Manta B-AUV to operate in deep waters without the bulky, costly materials typically required for such depths. We use naturally compliant materials and some, dare we say, out of the box thinking, to compensate for pressure differences.

  • Off-the-Shelf Parts: Instead of relying on custom-made, high-cost electronics, we’ve developed an in-house treatment process that allows us to use off-the-shelf electronics at great depths. This innovation not only simplifies the design but also significantly cuts down production and maintenance costs.

  • Biomimetic Design: Inspired by creatures like the Mariana snailfish and the Giant Manta Ray, we built a "softer" AUV, reducing reliance on rigid, heavy components that are typically used to resist underwater pressure and protect electronic components from sea water. This biomimetic approach allows our robot to move more efficiently through the water, just like the natural species that inhabit the ocean's deepest regions.

The Impact: Lower Costs, Greater Accessibility

One of the most exciting outcomes of this new approach is the drastic reduction in production costs. By eliminating the need for expensive pressure housings and using widely available electronics, we’ve created a cost-effective AUV that’s more affordable than traditional alternatives.

This affordability opens up a wealth of opportunities for scientists, researchers, and commercial operators. The Manta B-AUV lowers the barrier to entry for deep-sea exploration, enabling more institutions and organizations to access the deep ocean. Whether you're conducting marine research, exploring for natural resources, or ensuring underwater infrastructure safety, the Manta B-AUV makes it possible to perform these operations at a fraction of the cost.

A New Era of SUB-SEA Robotics

At Anomalous, we’re excited about the future of subsea exploration. By questioning conventional wisdom and building our robots from the ground up—using nature as our guide—we’ve created a new kind of AUV that can explore the ocean’s depths in a way that’s cost-effective, efficient, and inspired by the creatures that have mastered these environments.

As we continue to innovate, we invite you to join us in pushing the boundaries of deep-sea exploration. Get in touch with us to learn more about the Manta BAUV and how it can support your operations at sea.

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