Latest news with #McCauley
NDTV
3 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
In Canada Lake, Robot Learns To Mine Without Disrupting Marine Life
Ottawa: Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules "in a selective way." The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life -- such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges -- undisturbed. 'A bit like bulldozers' In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, "a bit like bulldozers," he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 percent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining "ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive." "Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly." Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. "We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there," he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. High demand Mining is "always going to have some impact," said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, "we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything." Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalize its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world.
France 24
3 days ago
- Science
- France 24
In Canada lake, robot learns to mine without disrupting marine life
The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules "in a selective way." The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life -- such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges -- undisturbed. 'A bit like bulldozers' In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, "a bit like bulldozers," he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 percent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining "ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive." "Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly." Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. "We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there," he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. High demand Mining is "always going to have some impact," said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, "we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything." Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalize its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world. © 2025 AFP
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
In Canada lake, robot learns to mine without disrupting marine life
Three robotic arms extended under the water in a Canadian lake, delicately selecting pebbles from the bed, before storing them back inside the machine. The exercise was part of a series of tests the robot was undergoing before planned deployment in the ocean, where its operators hope the machine can transform the search for the world's most sought-after metals. The robot was made by Impossible Metals, a company founded in California in 2020, which says it is trying to develop technology that allows the seabed to be harvested with limited ecological disruption. Conventional underwater harvesting involves scooping up huge amounts of material in search of potato-sized things called poly-metallic nodules. These nodules contain nickel, copper, cobalt, or other metals needed for electric vehicle batteries, among other key products. Impossible Metals' co-founder Jason Gillham told AFP his company's robot looks for the nodules "in a selective way." The prototype, being tested in the province of Ontario, remains stationary in the water, hovering over the lake bottom. In a lab, company staff monitor the yellow robot on screens, using what looks like a video game console to direct its movements. Using lights, cameras and artificial intelligence, the robot tries to identify the sought-after nodules while leaving aquatic life such as octopuses' eggs, coral, or sponges undisturbed. In a first for the nascent sector, Impossible Metals has requested a permit from US President Donald Trump to use its robot in American waters around Samoa, in the Pacific. The company is hoping that its promise of limited ecological disruption will give it added appeal. Competitors, like The Metals Company, use giant machines that roll along the seabed and suck up the nodules, a highly controversial technique. Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told AFP this method scoops up ocean floor using collectors or excavators, "a bit like bulldozers," he explained. Everything is then brought up to ships, where the nodules are separated from waste, which is tossed back into the ocean. This creates large plumes of sediment and toxins with a multitude of potential impacts, he said. A less invasive approach, like that advocated by Impossible Metals, would reduce the risk of environmental damage, McCauley explained. But he noted lighter-touch harvesting is not without risk. The nodules themselves also harbor living organisms, and removing them even with a selective technique, involves destroying the habitat, he said. Impossible Metals admits its technology cannot detect microscopic life, but the company claims to have a policy of leaving 60 percent of the nodules untouched. McCauley is unconvinced, explaining "ecosystems in the deep ocean are especially fragile and sensitive." "Life down there moves very slowly, so they reproduce very slowly, they grow very slowly." Duncan Currie of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said it was impossible to assess the impact of any deep sea harvesting. "We don't know enough yet either in terms of the biodiversity and the ecosystem down there," he told AFP. According to the international scientific initiative Ocean Census, only 250,000 species are known, out of the two million that are estimated to populate the oceans. Mining is "always going to have some impact," said Impossible Metals chief executive and co-founder Oliver Gunasekara, who has spent most of his career in the semiconductor field. But, he added, "we need a lot more critical minerals, as we want to electrify everything." Illustrating the global rush toward underwater mining, Impossible Metals has raised US$15 million from investors to build and test a first series of its Eureka 3 robot in 2026. The commercial version will be the size of a shipping container and will expand from three to 16 arms, and its battery will grow from 14 to nearly 200 kilowatt-hours. The robot will be fully autonomous and self-propel, without cables or tethers to the surface, and be equipped with sensors. While awaiting the US green light, the company hopes to finalize its technology within two to three years, conduct ocean tests, build a fleet, and operate through partnerships elsewhere in the world. amp/ico/tib/amc/bs/dw
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Cinnamon oysters: a staple of music festival
Ensign reporter Ella Scott-Fleming gets a preview of the cinnamon oysters masterclass — an event next Tuesday, as part of the Bayleys Tussock Country music festival. I first caught wind of cinnamon oysters when I was in Gore, as a newly arrived and ever-hungry Aucklander. I was intrigued and a bit unsure, as it sounded to my untrained ears like raw Bluff oysters with an interesting choice of spice sprinkled on top. I was relieved to learn they are actually mollusc-shaped, cream filled little sponges which are easy to make and even easier to eat several of, fast. Eager to try this mysterious treat, I enlisted only the best, seasoned professional Coral McCauley, to show me how it's done. Mrs McCauley's masterclass on making the bite-sized delights is returning to Tussock Country this year, where you, too, can bake — and taste — a cinnamon oyster. Making them takes no time at all, I learned, as Mrs McCauley uses a simple yet effective recipe adapted from the Edmonds Cookery Book , but with a slight twist. Her secret is she bakes them for less time than the old recipe says, making for softer, fluffier cakes — to which I can attest. Mrs McCauley, said she has been working at Gore's Gold Guitar Awards since its beginning in 1974 and this year will be her 28th on its committee. Her cinnamon oysters have been fuelling the country competition's judges for about that long, with Mrs McCauley turning the preparation and delivery of the delicacies into a fine art. She freezes batches of them pre-filled with whipped cream, she said, so they can be defrosted, creating an efficient and steady flow of baked goods for the judges all festival long. She said entries for the Gold Guitars used to come in cassettes that she would organise alphabetically. Now that everything was digitised, she was a bit left behind, she said, with the awards no longer needing her organisational skills. Nevertheless, working for the Gold Guitars for so long taught her the basics such as email, which she said she would never have learned had it not been for the ever-growing country competition. She was nervous to do her class on the oysters the first time, but now she said it was a piece of cake. In her special Tussock Country apron she removed the cakes from their brief time in the oven. I sliced the sweets with her electric bread knife as Mrs McCauley's husband, Gore country legend Max McCauley reminded me not to hurt myself. As I left their comfortable Gore home, the couple warned me I would not be able to eat just one and they were right. "One of my nieces eats about five at once," Mrs McCauley said.
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Warrant issued for arrest of Tipperary man who threatened Tesco guard
Security guard James McCauley told Judge Brian O'Shea that he was on duty on August 22, 2024, in Tesco Shopping Centre, Cahir Road, Cashel, when he saw William Harty enter the store. Mr Harty, of 7 Oliver Plunkett Park, Cashel, Co Tipperary, was barred from the store for a previous incident. Mr McCauley said he approached Mr Harty and said: 'William, you are not allowed in.' Harty 'kind of muttered' and walked on. Mr McCauley again asked Harty to 'please leave' or he would call the gardaí. Mr Harty responded, 'I don't give a f**k about the guards,' and kept walking. Mr McCauley again asked him to leave. Harty said he didn't give 'two f**ks' about the gardaí, as he made his way to the exit. Mr Harty told the security guard, 'I will knock your head off your f**king shoulders.' Mr McCauley said he is employed by private security firm OCS, who provide security for Tesco in Cashel. He said he knew who Mr Harty was, as he had been pointed out to him a few times. Harty had caused problems in the past and staff were told to 'keep an eye on him', he said. At one stage during the incident, Mr Harty said 'f**k' the gardaí and took a step towards Mr McCauley. Garda Patrick Bourke later charged Harty with using threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour in a public place, contrary to Section 6 of the Public Order Act. Judge O'Shea said he found the facts proven and issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr Harty in relation to sentencing.
