Deep Tech Talk: An Interview with EvoLogics GmbH

Congratulations to the Deep Tech Star 2024 in the category “Robotics”! Congratulations, EvoLogics GmbH!

As one of 15 finalists, EvoLogics has prevailed. They were honoured with the Deep Tech Award 2024 on 11 July 2024. EvoLogics GmbH develops and produces wireless underwater communication systems that are based on bionic concepts and combine advanced technology with insights from nature. The Quadroin, an autonomous underwater vehicle with a streamlined, penguin-like design and camera and sensor systems, enables a variety of underwater application scenarios.

Congratulations you are one of the finalists of the 9th Deep Tech Award! What does the Deep Tech Award mean to you and what was the motivation behind your application?
Of course, we are delighted to have been nominated. EvoLogics has been developing underwater vehicles for years, but most of them as part of research projects or individual orders. The Quadroin is our first series-produced autonomous underwater vehicle. The recognition from the Deep Tech Award and the associated media attention are of course very welcome.

Berlin is said to be one of the few German hubs for technological innovation. How do you experience the local tech infrastructure and how is it influenced by the Deep Tech Award?
EvoLogics is a Berlin original. As a former spin-off of the TU Berlin, we are a direct result of Berlin’s research landscape and tech infrastructure. Berlin offers some unique opportunities, whether it’s the testing facilities of the shipbuilding research institute or the Berlin swimming pools that allow us to test a vehicle in the Olympic pool. We have recently moved our company headquarters to the Wista Park in Adlershof and are delighted with the creative atmosphere and the collaboration with our numerous high-tech neighbours.

Your category robotics was opened for the first time in the Deep Tech Award 2024. Why do you think this is important for the robotics scene in Berlin?
Berlin is generally regarded as modern, cosmopolitan, and innovative. The focus is often on the cultural landscape, with theatres, clubs, museums, and the media. When it comes to technical innovation, many people think of Berlin mainly in terms of software start-ups or the computer games industry. This is partly justified. When it comes to robotics, people might initially think of Kuka or car manufacturers such as Audi or BMW. Of course, there is also a lot happening here in Berlin. We don’t even need to start listing them now, because you can simply take a look at the nominations for the Deep Tech Award.

Let’s shift the perspective and talk about you a little more. You applied with your Quadroin. Please give us a little glimpse into your founding story and your key motivation to build these products.
As already mentioned, we are a spin-off of the TU Berlin. Our founder, Dr Rudolf Bannasch, worked in the bionics department after years of polar and bird research. We developed our S2C technology for acoustic underwater communication as a result of a cooperation project with a dolphinarium in the Crimea to study dolphin communication. Even though dolphins are still one step ahead in this area, we have learnt enough from the animals to gain worldwide recognition with our devices. For a long time, our communication and positioning systems were the absolute backbone of the company.
Nevertheless, we worked on robots in parallel right from the start, sometimes a little playfully, out of a desire to try out new concepts. The Sonobot was our first robotics project to go into series production: An autonomous surface water vehicle that can create depth maps and find objects using imaging sonar. The vehicle is now in its 5th generation and is used worldwide for surveying shipping lanes, dams, and mining. During the extension of the U5 motorway, the Sonobot checked that the concrete for the tunnels under the River Spree landed in the right place. The vehicle has also recently become available with AI, which can help to find objects or missing persons in the sonar image. The police in the Netherlands use this, and the police in Thuringia will soon receive their first vehicle.
Of course, these experiences and developments have also been incorporated into the Quadroin, which is also excellently networked and can navigate underwater thanks to our modems and has also integrated our AI modules.

Why do you think EvoLogics made the finalists list and why is it Deep Tech?
EvoLogics is of course true Berlin deep tech. Some of our systems have already been to depths of more than 10,000 metres. It can hardly get much deeper than that. But let’s leave the pun aside. In the field of underwater robotics, we have already created a quite unique system that no one can imitate so quickly. Because we are a global pioneer in acoustic communication, the network capability is deeply integrated into the Quadroin. Both at software level and mechanically. The Quadroin is full of unique developments. Be it the acoustically transparent cover, which conceals the necessary antennas in the rigorously hydrodynamic shape. The penguin shape, which is based on intensive research with living models in the Antarctic, is extremely energy-efficient. The specially developed and optimised, pressure-neutral motors, the attachable antenna and the AI-based evaluation of the sonar and camera data.

What is the key technological innovation within the Quadroin and why does it advance the state of the art?
This is a difficult question to answer because the complete package has to be right: The compact size and low weight make it easy to transport and handle with just one person. At the same time, the Quadroin is packed with sensors and intelligent analyses, such as automatic object recognition in the sonar and video. Everything has to work together. The Doppler velocity sonar must not interfere with the side-view sonar, the forward-looking sonar or the acoustic communication. The sensors must be cleanly decoupled electronically, e.g. from the motors. The GPS antennas must be far enough away from the water to provide a precise position, while at the same time no long antenna must stick out during the journey or transport… there are a thousand small construction sites that have to fit together so that the system is convincing in the end.

What was the biggest obstacle in your developing process? How did you overcome it?
We’d like to say that there was this one nut to crack and then suddenly everything went by itself. But the truth is that in a complex system, one detail here creates another construction site elsewhere. For example, some of the electronics are housed in pressurised carbon housings. These have to be produced to a high quality and with corresponding dimensional accuracy so that they are stable enough and, above all, leak-proof. You can’t simply use a different material, as this would completely change the dimensions and weight of the assembly and thus also shift the centre of gravity. Intensive quality controls and the selection of the right suppliers have helped us here. But it is also clear that you can never be finished with a complex system. There are always parts that are no longer available as originally planned, their quality changes or the price becomes unrealistic. Then you have to get back to it.

How does the Quadroin enhance the interaction between humans and robots, and what measures have you taken to ensure safety and efficiency?
Once the Quadroin is on a mission in the water, interactions with humans are rather rare. Of course, the Quadroin has collision avoidance systems. A high-resolution sonar with intelligent analysis. However, the actual protection of people starts with its size. Most other vehicles with comparable performance can only be moved with heavy equipment. Especially at sea, where everything sways, this poses risks.

Which industries are impacted by the Quadroin, and what feedback have you received from industry partners?
The Quadroin is set to become a universal tool for research and environmental monitoring. We think that this vehicle will efficiently collect data to understand the state of our oceans in much greater depth than is currently the case.
If you want to measure the extent of seagrass beds or the amount of bleached coral in a reef, the Quadroin provides the data.
The Quadroin is a fast operational vehicle for searching for objects or missing persons, especially at depths where you can only search to a limited extent from the surface.
The Quadroin is ideal for regular inspections of cables, pipelines, and shipping lanes.
The Quadroin can be used in a wide range of applications, which is why there is a great deal of interest from industry, environmental organisations, and authorities.

How does the Quadroin contribute to sustainability, and what metrics do you use to measure its success?
The earth is about to change drastically. Climate change is progressing and with it the sea levels are rising, the water is warming and the major currents are changing. This is accompanied by the extinction of numerous creatures and at the same time the spread of some species into new areas. We are not even aware of much of this or are unable to assess its impact because we can only collect a few pieces of data here and there. The Quadroin can significantly increase our knowledge. We can document temperature changes and other important parameters such as the CO2 and oxygen content of the water. The Quadroin gives us a deeper understanding of the sea, lakes and rivers. This understanding can be the basis for sustainable action.

Where do you see the future of robotics heading, and how does your project align with or shape that vision?
We see the autonomy of robots increasing significantly and trust in autonomous systems growing. In everyday life, people are relying more and more on robotic vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers. When it comes to the autonomous driving of cars, we only talk about the “how” and “when”, the “if” is completely out of the question. Robotics and AI are currently developing at a rapid pace. The Quadroin is a trendsetter in the water. It not only drives measuring systems through the area, but can also analyse the sensor data directly using AI and react to it. This will quickly set a precedent.

What do you wish for in our technological or digital future?
As in almost all areas, we hope that developments are viewed objectively, deeply and with a calm mind in order to recognise dangers on the one hand, but also to allow and embrace development on the other. When we encounter new developments and the question arises “what could happen…?”, we must not stop there. We have to try to answer this question and then find out where there is room to try things out.

What advice would you like to pass to young entrepreneurs and tech innovators who want to reach their goals and maybe also want to take part in the Deep Tech Award 2025? Since out of 100 applicants you made it into the finalists, we figure you have some real pro-tips here.
Development is hard work. A smart idea, a vision is the beginning. The vision can be a little bigger. You have to develop the vision into a dream that fills you with enthusiasm and can sustain you for a while. Because then come the hardships on the ground, the many small stumbling blocks and the annoying question of financing. Development always takes longer than planned. And then a little longer. And production must always be taken into account. A product is only successful if you can manufacture it in the end and the maintenance works. It is perfectly normal to have to cry from time to time. Nevertheless, it’s worth persevering with perseverance and courage.

Thank you so much for all your fascinating insights!