Researchers at two US Department of Energy national laboratories have partnered with a private company to develop an autonomous aquatic robot capable of collecting and analysing environmental DNA in real time.
The device, known as “eDNA-bot,” is designed to operate independently in the field, using artificial intelligence to guide sampling decisions. It collects, processes and analyses genetic material shed by organisms into water, sharing results continuously.
Developers say the system could reduce the cost of biological monitoring while improving the range and frequency of data collection. It may also support environmental assessments required for hydropower licensing and help detect invasive species or pathogens in wastewater.
The technology has been patented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Researchers there, along with colleagues at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, have signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Smith-Root, Inc. to advance commercialization.
“It saves us as a company from having to do the R&D internally,” said Austen Thomas, a scientist at Smith-Root, Inc. “There’s a huge capital expense to designing a system like this. Some of the components of this system are at an R&D level that we can’t achieve, so having the engineering and biology staff of the national labs available to develop that technology is a huge benefit. It reduces our risk as a company.”
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is genetic material released into ecosystems by organisms through processes such as aging, waste and decay. Sampling this material provides an alternative to conventional survey methods such as netting, trapping and electrofishing.
Traditional approaches can be costly, labour-intensive and limited in scope, often capturing only a snapshot of species present. They can also disturb habitats and miss elusive species.
“It would let us sample continuously and unobtrusively for months at a time,” said project lead Kristine Moody, a molecular ecologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “The bot also would allow us to access sites that are too remote or too dangerous to easily accommodate human surveyors.”
The robot is being designed for use in environments linked to hydropower facilities, where fluctuating water flow and sediment levels can complicate data collection. Previous research by the team has shown that eDNA sampling can detect species not identified through conventional methods.
An early prototype of the eDNA-bot has already been developed using a combination of off-the-shelf and custom components. Researchers aim to produce a compact, battery-powered version weighing less than 100 pounds, with a longer-term goal of reducing it to suitcase size.
“Ideally, we want to get it down to a suitcase size so that it could be flown easily,” Moody said. “That will probably be several iterations down the road since we will have to miniaturize everything first.”
The project brings together specialists in robotics, automation, environmental science and fisheries biology. The next phase will focus on improving durability, including operation in corrosive saltwater conditions, with planned testing at a marine research facility in Washington state.
Beyond hydropower, researchers say the system could be used by academic institutions and government agencies to monitor aquatic ecosystems more broadly.
