Quick exploration of form factors for a robotics startup looking to reduce sea urchin overpopulation via underwater drone. The wildest consulting gig I've had but an extremely interesting set of challenges for a physical system. The ocean movement is strong, the ocean floor is unpredictable, the sea urchins wedge themselves into crevices, and the uni inside is unbelievably delicate.
Sea urchins are loving the increased heat and acidity in oceans, and their quickly ballooning population is having dire effects on kelp forests. Population control is critical, but a way to make it commerically viable is to collect the urchin for harvesting Uni. Collection of urchins is only possible currently with divers, but the rate of catch is slow and extremely labor intensive. Hence drone.
