A British company wants to create underwater dwellings for human exploration of the oceans
Joseph Barrientos, Unsplash
Imagine life underwater not for hours, but for days or even weeks. British company DEEP is developing revolutionary underwater modules for long-term life and research in the ocean. The first project, Vanguard, will be ready for deployment by the end of 2025. Measuring 12 metres long and 7.5 metres wide, it will be able to accommodate up to three people at depths of up to 100 metres. This module will be a testbed before the larger Sentinel project is launched in 2027. Sentinel will be able to accommodate up to six people on a mission of up to 28 days at a depth of 200 metres.
This innovative underwater home includes dry and wet laboratories, as well as a "moon pool" through which it is possible to move safely between the ocean and the module. These conditions will allow scientists to collect and analyse samples from the bottom in real time without having to surface.
DEEP is committed to making underwater exploration as attractive as space exploration. Inspired by the success of SpaceX, the company intends to recruit the best minds to work on ocean innovations. Sentinel could be useful for monitoring undersea cables, which carry more than 95 per cent of the world's internet traffic, as well as oil and gas pipelines. This is particularly relevant in the context of incidents such as the sabotage of Nord Stream in 2022 and the damage to the Balticconnector pipeline in 2023.
Along with this, Sentinel will open new horizons for biological research and become a unique tourist attraction, allowing people to observe ocean life from the inside.
DEEP uses additive manufacturing technology with electric arc welding, which is similar to 3D printing, but instead of plastic, metal wires are used. This allows the creation of pressure-resistant modules with minimal waste. The design of the modules is fully modular, allowing them to be disassembled and reassembled like Legos, customising them to suit specific applications, be it bedrooms, laboratories or research platforms.
While DEEP is negotiating the location of Vanguard's first deployment, customers from Europe, the Middle East and North America are being considered.
