Scaling Underwater Robotics in Barbados

Charting BlueBOT’s Five-Year Journey and Evolution

November 1, 2024

group of men boarding a fishing boat — Deployment of BlueBOT & Pilot Training

UNDP/Jordanna Straker

By Jordanna Straker, Head of Solutions Mapping, UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and Jevon Yearwood, Digital Transformation Intern, UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

2019: Idea Stage & Launch

In 2019, the UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean hosted a regional Call for Solutions (CFS) in which it asked surrounding grassroot thinkers and shapers to submit innovative approaches to challenges in renewable energy, sustainable tourism, fisheries and waste management. One of the solutions received was titled “BlueBOT,” the brainchild of Barbadian innovator S. Antonio Hollingsworth and product of his company Bajan Digital Creations Inc. According to the submitted proposal, underwater robotics could be used in combination with deep Machine Learning (M.L.) and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to amass information that could form open datasets on nearshore coral reef marine species in Barbados.

Remote Operated Vehicle being deployed into the ocean — Deployment of BlueBOT & Pilot Training

UNDP/Jordanna Straker

2020: Concept Validation

Following an evaluation process, BlueBOT was selected as one of the awardees from the CFS and provided with $15,000 USD in funding for experimentation. In 2020, Antonio began deploying a subsea robot along the shores of Barbados according to the plan shared with UNDP. Despite experiencing challenges due to the onset of COVID-19, underwater images gathered by the robot led to the classification of fish varieties and eventual creation of 10 publicly available datasets on species such as Atlantic Tang, Trumpet Fish and Sergeant Majors.

2021: Learning & Troubleshooting

Following the deployments, Antonio entered a period of troubleshooting, primarily related to a challenging marine environment which damaged some of BlueBOT’s electronic devices. As such, BlueBOT had to rebuild its models and work with limited underwater robotics. This resulted in a year of learning as the project focused more on computer vision and marine A.I. research and development. During that time, significant advancements in the number of classes described in the dataset marked an important milestone in developing the first version of its analytic software, Scylla.

a hand holding a cell phone — UNDP/Jordanna Straker

2022: Receipt of technical assistance & business development

Once BlueBOT was able to demonstrate its capacity for underwater mapping and monitoring, Antonio entered the Oceans Challenge hosted by Export Barbados and the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility. He was successful, allowing him to receive up to $20,000 USD in funding via a technical assistance grant focused on supporting Blue innovation and exports.

With emphasis on business development and marketability, the Oceans Challenge allowed Antonio to look at how coral reef resources could be monetized in a sustainable manner, such as by training the A.I. to identify spiny lobsters, which are exportable. At the same time, scanning for marine monitoring purposes could reveal species such as sea urchins which are threatened, as well as invasive lionfish. By exploring these and other BlueBOT business offerings through the technical assistance received, Antonio was able to expand his value proposition.

man standing on grass with device in his hand — UNDP/Jordanna Straker

2023: Building services, youth networks and visibility

2023 marked the start of BlueBOT’s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) benthic and open-water survey services for two marine projects. In addition, BlueBOT was able to offer three summer internships to youth. During this internship period, the new job of marine data mining began to take shape as the interns learned how to deploy underwater ROVs in the nearshore reef environment, do human validation of the dataset built by the A.I. and evaluate the performance of the model versions that they trained.

Equipped with new robots and digital technology, the BlueBOT project embarked on a systematic video collection exercise in Barbados at four sites with the objective of building its video dataset. The increased number of collected videos required BlueBOT to improve its software to create the dataset. To solve this problem, BlueBOT developed a new version of software to learn from and give insight into underwater video content from reef environments. To increase visibility of its work and progression, BlueBOT participated in the inaugural Archipelagic Island States Start-up Summit in October 2023.

young man holding a mobile device — UNDP/Jordanna Straker

2024: Continuous coral reef biodiversity monitoring, youth empowerment and entry into virtual tourism market

In 2024, the BlueBOT project was named one of the winners of the Ocean Innovation Challenge Call in Cohort 4: Accelerated Blue Economy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal Least Developing Countries (LDCs). With support from Sweden and Norway, BlueBOT will be receiving up to $40,000 USD in financial support as well as benefiting from significant mentorship.

In this phase of the project, Antonio has expanded the range from monitoring individual marine species into taking whole biodiversity snapshots of coral reefs. To gather that content, BlueBOT has established a pilot training program for youth wherein instruction on robotic deployment techniques will be provided. From the trainings, datasets are being created, displaying marine life captured, and thus creating a more integrated full circle model.

group of men on board a fishing boat — UNDP/Jordanna Straker

Disaster Management

In terms of disaster management, BlueBOT’s potential is significant, particularly in SIDS prone to natural disasters. More specifically, BlueBOT can assist in pre-disaster monitoring, post-disaster assessment, debris monitoring and the recovery phase. BlueBOT can also gather large-scale video and image data of coral reefs, which allow for continuous monitoring of reef biodiversity and health. This is especially important for coral reefs around the world as they are currently under grave threat from climate change and its repercussions. Potential applications of this can include tracking coral beaching events and supporting marine conservations efforts.

Enabling Access for Non-Swimmers, Seniors, and Persons with Disabilities

Regarding improving the lives of vulnerable persons, BlueBOT is enabling access to the underwater environment for persons who may not be able to snorkel or dive. Virtual exploration offers a way for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and people who cannot swim to experience coral reefs and the wonders of marine habitats. BlueBOT can also capture high-quality underwater footage that can be streamed real-time or used in virtual 360° experiences. As tourism shifts increasingly to more sustainable models, this can provide an opportunity to develop non-invasive marine tours, attracting global audiences without having to visit reefs.

Supporting Fisheries and Sustainable Blue Economy Initiatives

Lastly, BlueBOT can help support fisheries and sustainable Blue Economy initiatives. This has been seen in the project’s monitoring fish populations reef biodiversity, enabling the analysis of fish stocks and marine resources. This is significant as having quantifiable data on fish populations can help prevent overfishing, assist with the tracking of endangered species, and help with the flagging of invasive species, amongst other forms of marine monitoring.

What’s next?

As the BlueBOT project looks to the future, it remains committed to making a lasting impact on ocean education, entrepreneurship, and global research. BlueBOT’s plans include expanding educational outreach, particularly for young people, by developing engaging programs that foster a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems. It aims to increase opportunities in the Blue Economy by empowering aspiring entrepreneurs to participate in sustainable ocean-based ventures.

Globally, BlueBOT is optimistic and excited about bringing the ocean to the world through livestreaming, providing real-time underwater content for educators, researchers, and curious minds everywhere. To do so, it aims to explore and protect the ocean while inspiring the next generation of marine stewards.