Argeo Receives Patent for Subsea Electromagnetic Remote Sensing System

Argeo Robotics, a fully owned subsidiary of Argeo AS, has been granted a patent from the Norwegian Industrial Patent office (Patentstyret) for an advanced subsea electromagnetic remote sensing system.

Argeo is known for its broad portfolio of electromagnetic source and receiver systems for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), underwater intervention drones and ROVs. This patent protects Argeo’s exclusive services with the products Argeo Whisper and Argeo Discover. Argeo Whisper is an AUV and ROV system developed to localize and track buried pipelines as well as detect buried objects in a decommissioning survey. It can also be used to detect unexploded ordnances. Argeo Discover is an application to detect, delineate and characterize deep-sea mineral deposits or other conductive objects below the seafloor, using an electromagnetic source integrated in an AUV or ROV.

Ultra-high-resolution Data Acquisition of Deep-sea Minerals

Argeo has developed an electromagnetic source that is designed to operate down to 6,000m water depth. This technology enables the ultra-high-resolution characterization of minerals that was previously impossible. With Argeo Discover added to Argeo’s AUV and ROV sensor portfolio, Argeo is in a sole position to provide effective ultra-high-resolution data acquisition for both larger regional and detailed local exploration over large areas with deposits, utilizing its fleet of AUVs rated to 6,000m water depth.

“Sourcing of critical metals and the introduction of new elements to the value chains is crucial to satisfy mineral requirements of the energy transition. Deep-sea minerals present a potential solution in the transition, enabling the scaling of various green technologies that demand vast amounts of diverse metals. This prompts a surge of deep-sea mineral exploration activities worldwide, with Norway currently preparing a decision on the opening of its continental shelf due in spring 2023. Argeo is in a strong position to address deep-sea exploration needs with its unique AUV sensor capabilities,” said Trond F. Crantz, CEO at Argeo.

“We are very pleased with the electromagnetic source and sensor technologies that are developed by Argeo Robotics, and protecting our inventions is something we consider of utmost importance,” stated Thorbjørn Rekdal, CTO at Argeo.