What it does
Vakan is a compact underwater robot designed to collect debris from coastal waters, reaching areas beyond the scope of traditional cleanups. By tackling pollution below the surface, it helps restore marine ecosystems and protect ocean health for generations.
Your inspiration
We grew up by the coast, spending countless hours in & around the water. Over time, we came to understand the scale of the problem, over 70% of marine debris sinks into the subsea environment, and more than 100 million marine animals die each year because of it. With 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans annually, most cleanups focus only on what floats, leaving what lies beneath overlooked. We kept asking the same question: why isn’t anyone cleaning below the surface? That question brought us together. VAKAN is our answer, built on innovation, collaboration & a deep commitment to restoring the oceans that sustain all life on Earth.
How it works
VAKAN is a compact, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed to clean polluted coastal waters by collecting debris and microplastics. Equipped with a front-facing camera, sonar, ultrasonic, pressure & temperature sensors, it navigates underwater environments to detect floating debris. Upon detecting debris, VAKAN maneuvers into position and activates a front intake pumping system that pulls in waste using controlled water flow. A fine filtration unit captures microplastics, preventing them from reentering the ecosystem. The device periodically disposes of collected debris into a nearby collection station anchored in shallow water for easy retrieval. Powered by a rechargeable battery, it avoids obstacles, stays within preset boundaries, continuously monitors water quality through environmental sensing and mapping, and transmits real-time data for analysis. Built with eco-friendly materials, VAKAN ensures minimal environmental impact during operation.
Design process
Most plastic waste doesn’t float, it sinks below the surface, making it hard to remove with current cleanup efforts. VAKAN is being developed as a compact underwater robot designed to address this challenge. The concept centers around a hydrodynamically streamlined, corrosion-resistant composite chassis, with a modular electronics bay and IP68-rated enclosures to ensure durability in saline, debris-filled environments. Six brushless DC thrusters, arranged for six degrees of freedom, will enable agile movement. PID control and a semi-active buoyancy system are planned for precise station-keeping and pitch, roll, and depth control. The sensing system will include ultrasonic transducers for obstacle avoidance, pressure sensors for depth feedback, and a 360° camera array for visual mapping. LiDAR modules will support bathymetric scans, with SLAM and sensor fusion handled on an embedded ROS platform. The onboard suction system is designed to channel debris through a multi-stage filtration unit, capturing both macro- and microplastics. The system will be validated through iterative testing, with FMEA & DfR design guiding its reliability. VAKAN is expected to collect up to 20 kg of waste per mission, enabling up to 100 kg of removal per day under continuous operation.
How it is different
VAKAN fills a critical gap in marine cleanup by going beyond surface skimmers and manual divers. It operates semi-autonomously underwater where traditional tools are ineffective or limited in scope. Its lightweight, modular design allows rapid deployment in tight, complex areas that boats cannot reach. For navigation, VAKAN integrates inertial measurement units, magnetometers, and ultrasonic sensors to achieve precise three-dimensional localization and adaptive obstacle avoidance even in turbid, low-visibility conditions where GPS and cameras cannot perform reliably. Debris collection uses high-efficiency suction impellers and articulated grippers coordinated by control algorithms that optimize recovery while minimizing disturbance to marine life and sediments. In parallel, its advanced sensors monitor turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and chemical pollutants, providing continuous water quality data no other system offers alongside active debris removal.
Future plans
We aim to pilot VAKAN with local environmental groups and marinas to showcase its effectiveness. Through these efforts, we hope to support marine conservation and provide data that helps shape better environmental policies worldwide. Next, we will improve VAKAN’s autonomy and battery life for longer missions. We plan to add wireless communication, explore solar charging, and deploy multiple units working together to clean marine debris and monitor water health. VAKAN’s modular design allows adding modules customized to regional needs, which we plan to implement.
Awards
SIRE Solve: Received a research and innovation grant from the BITS SIRE Solve program for our solution’s environmental impact and technical feasibility. IIT Eureka! GCC: Named Top 30 semifinalist at IIT Bombay’s Eureka! GCC and awarded the CleanTech Startup Innovator Associate title by Headstart Network Foundation.
Connect