Key points
- Impossible Metals tested its Eureka II AUV at roughly 2 km depth in April 2024, reaching a fully autonomous deep-water dive.
- The launch and recovery system was redesigned with an improved frame and tagline capability, allowing operation in significant wave heights of more than two meters.
- During tethered testing, the tether broke the data connection with the vehicle, though the vehicle itself was not lost, reinforcing the company’s move toward an untethered design.
- About 30% of nodules targeted by the arms were lost, slipping through the end effector’s tongs, which the company attributes to compliance issues from modifying the gripper for greater depth.
