News & Media

In the press

Coverage of UWAI Robotics across New Zealand and international media, alongside the team's own research and project updates.

RNZ15 Apr 2026

Marine farmers using AI to find out what's happening under water

New Zealand's aquaculture sector is increasingly adopting AI to monitor underwater farming. UWAI Robotics' underwater drones and imaging help mussel farmers assess crop quality, predict yields and make harvest decisions without hauling lines from the water.

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UCVisionSeptember 2025

Scallop Team Become Finalists

The UC Vision / NIWA scallop survey team was named a finalist for the Operational Innovator award at the NZ Seafood Sustainability and Innovation Awards at Parliament, recognising non-destructive ROV and machine-learning surveying of scallop beds.

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Responsible Seafood Advocate02 Jun 2025

Underwater robot seeks to scale New Zealand mussel farming

An autonomous underwater vehicle developed at the University of Canterbury uses AI to monitor mussel growth and density, helping farmers improve harvest planning and processing efficiency — supporting New Zealand’s goal of tripling aquaculture exports over the next decade.

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Sprout Agritech24 May 2024

Meet the Founders: UWAI

UWAI founders Tim Rensen and Joel Steven built an underwater drone using AI and advanced imaging to scan mussel farms, giving farmers data on mussel health, product quality and optimal timing for reseeding and harvesting.

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NIWA31 May 2022

Going easy on the scallops

NIWA researchers are developing non-invasive methods to survey and harvest scallop populations using underwater cameras and AI — replacing traditional dredging that damages marine habitats. Machine-learning models trained on thousands of images detect individual scallops by their distinctive eyes and sensory tentacles.

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UCVision

Scallop harvesting and stock monitoring with robots

An MBIE-funded project with NIWA exploring how UWAI’s ROV and machine learning can survey scallop beds and, ultimately, detect and selectively harvest scallops in real time — eliminating by-catch and minimising habitat damage from dredging.

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UCVision

Scanning Mussel Ropes

How the UWAI underwater drone scans mussel lines using AI and advanced imaging, giving farmers a real-time view of crop health and density along the rope.

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Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI)

Ending with impact: Unleashing underwater robots on Aotearoa's export market

SfTI researchers are developing an autonomous underwater robot that independently navigates, identifies species and assesses aquaculture conditions — with potential as an export product for global marine industries.

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