Oshen, a company specializing in ocean data collection, built the first ocean robot designed to gather information within a Category 5 hurricane. The company was founded by Anahita Laverack, who shifted her focus from aerospace engineering to ocean robotics after recognizing a critical gap in ocean data during an autonomous robotics challenge.

Laverack's initial venture was participating in the Microtransat Challenge in 2021, a competition focused on building autonomous, sail-powered micro-robots capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Despite her experience as a sailor, Laverack, like all other participants, was unsuccessful. This led her to identify a key reason for the failures: a lack of comprehensive ocean data. "I realized half the reason that all of these attempts were failing is, number one, obviously its hard to make micro-robots survive on the ocean," Laverack told TechCrunch. "But number two, they dont have enough data on the ocean to know what the weather is or even know what the ocean conditions are like."

This realization prompted Laverack to attend industry conferences such as Oceanology International, seeking existing solutions for ocean data collection. Finding no satisfactory methods, she discovered a demand for her own data collection efforts. This led to the creation of Oshen, a company focused on developing and deploying fleets of ocean robots.

The robots are designed to withstand extreme ocean conditions, including Category 5 hurricanes, allowing for the collection of data previously unattainable. This data includes information on wave height, water temperature, current speed, and other critical meteorological and oceanographic factors. The data is intended to improve weather forecasting, climate modeling, and maritime safety.

The ability to gather data within a Category 5 hurricane represents a significant advancement in ocean data collection. Existing methods, such as buoys and satellite imagery, often fail to provide accurate or comprehensive data during such extreme weather events. Oshen's robots offer a potential solution to this problem, providing real-time data from within the storm itself.

The company has not yet released specific details about the robot's design or the exact location of its deployment during the hurricane. However, the successful operation of the robot marks a significant milestone for Oshen and the field of ocean robotics. The data collected is expected to be valuable for researchers, meteorologists, and other stakeholders interested in understanding and predicting extreme weather events. Oshen plans to continue developing and deploying its robots to further expand ocean data collection capabilities.