NIO opens door to commercialise its bot designed for vigil on coral reefs

Panaji: The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) for the transfer of technology related to an autonomous underwater vehicle, the coral reef monitoring robot (C-Bot), offering a unique opportunity for companies to licence the technology and use it for manufacturing, selling, and commercialisation.

“The hydrodynamic design of the C-Bot with flat fish structure provides the user a flexibility in the payload choice,” the NIO stated.

The institute is looking for companies to partner with it in the technology transfer process. The agreement will grant the selected firm a non-exclusive, royalty-bearing licence, allowing it to produce and distribute the C-Bot under the terms of a technology transfer agreement.

Traditionally, coral reef monitoring required human divers to navigate hazardous and deep underwater environments to collect data, a practice that is both time-consuming and risky. Developed by the NIO, the C-Bot helps in monitoring coral reefs by eliminating the need for human intervention.

Equipped with advanced sensors and instruments, the C-Bot can autonomously collect crucial data about coral health and bleaching. The vehicle is deployed into the water, where it operates autonomously, gathering data from the reefs. After completing its mission, it resurfaces and transmits the collected information back to researchers, who can then analyse the data in a laboratory.

“In addition to the applications in coral reefs, C-Bot can be used for harbour or island surveillance, survey, and other monitoring applications in marine and freshwater environments,” the NIO stated. This added flexibility makes the C-Bot a valuable tool for a wide range of environmental research and conservation projects.

Through the EOI, NIO hopes to see the technology reach its full potential by partnering with companies that can help manufacture and distribute it globally.