Rethinking Ocean Exploration: The Advantages of Shore-Launched AUVs

At Anomalous, we’re not just pushing the boundaries of deep ocean exploration—we’re rethinking how autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can be deployed to make operations more accessible, flexible, and cost-effective. One of the standout features of our Manta AUV is its ability to be launched directly from shore, eliminating the need for expensive marine platforms and simplifying subsea operations for a wide range of users.

Shore-Launch Capabilities: A New Era of Flexibility

Traditionally, launching and retrieving AUVs requires specialized vessels, cranes, and costly marine equipment—adding significant expense to ocean research and commercial operations. The Manta AUV turns this model on its head. While it’s designed to be compatible with marine platforms, its unique capability to be launched directly from the beach gives users unparalleled flexibility.

Imagine walking up to the shore, setting up your mission, and simply letting the AUV glide into the water, ready to autonomously navigate to its destination. This shore-launch feature drastically reduces logistical complexity and costs by eliminating the need for renting expensive marine equipment or relying on dedicated vessels for deployment. Whether you’re a research team working on a tight budget or a commercial operator looking to streamline operations, this means more focus on the mission—and less on the launch.

Hybrid Buoyancy and Biomimetic Propulsion: The Power of Autonomy

The real magic behind the Manta AUV lies in its hybrid buoyancy propulsion system paired with our proprietary biomimetic propulsion technology. When launched from shore, the Manta can operate in hybrid mode, using buoyancy-driven propulsion ( just like a ocean glider ) to navigate across vast distances to the mission zone. Basically, by changing its buoyancy it can glide up and down the water column, using its naturally hydrodynamic Manta Ray inspired body to move forward. This mode consumes minimal energy, maximizing the AUV’s autonomy and allowing it to reach far-off exploration sites without depleting its power reserves.

Once the Manta reaches its area of interest, it seamlessly switches to active propulsion mode, where its biomimetic design truly shines. Inspired by marine life like the Oceanic Giant Manta Ray, the Manta navigates with graceful agility, using undulating fins to move through the water with incredible efficiency. This system isn’t just elegant—it’s energy-efficient, extending the duration of missions while maintaining a delicate balance with the underwater environment. The combination of hybrid and active propulsion means that users can reach distant exploration zones while still having enough power to conduct extensive, precise operations once they arrive.

Reduced Operational Costs, Simplified Logistics

For our customers, the benefits of a shore-launched AUV go beyond ease of use. By removing the need for heavy-duty marine platforms, the Manta AUV significantly reduces the overall cost of an operation. Renting vessels, cranes, or specialized launch equipment can be prohibitively expensive—especially for small research teams, NGOs, or start-up commercial ventures. The Manta’s shore-launch capability eliminates this cost entirely, making ocean exploration more accessible to a wider audience.

Additionally, retrieval becomes just as easy as the launch. After completing its mission, the Manta can autonomously navigate back to shore, where users can simply walk to the beach and collect the AUV without the need for divers, boats, or specialized recovery equipment. This simplicity translates to faster turnaround times between missions, allowing users to focus on what matters: gathering data, conducting research, or completing critical commercial operations.

A New Standard in Ease of Operation and Affordability

At Anomalous, we understand that the future of ocean exploration is not just about what’s possible—it’s about making those possibilities more accessible, affordable, and practical for all. By combining a shore-launch capability with our advanced propulsion systems, we’ve created a platform that offers massive autonomy without sacrificing performance. The Manta AUV brings ocean exploration within reach, offering more freedom and flexibility to those who need it most.

Whether you’re a researcher studying the effects of climate change on coral reefs, a commercial operator surveying potential underwater resources, or a security team monitoring territorial waters, the Manta AUV simplifies operations, reduces costs, and allows you to explore the ocean’s depths with ease.

At Anomalous, we’re not just creating robots—we’re creating solutions that empower you to do more with less. Contact us today to discover how the Manta AUV can redefine your approach to subsea exploration.

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.