A company called DEEP has published plans to create a base underwater that could support human life and work for extended periods. The base is expected to be located up to 200 meters beneath the surface of the ocean; it is expected to accommodate six or more people. In effect, this project will bring humanity to being an aquatic species, where continuous human presence will start with its first deployment.
The company is located in Gloucestershire along the Welsh border and draws comparisons between its project and the International Space Station, pointing out the potential of revolutionising human life underwater.
Since oceans cover two-thirds of the planet and are responsible for delivering crucial oxygen, this initiative is likely to cast a new light on areas of the ocean we still know so little about, as has been seen in the expansion of knowledge in space exploration.
“The Sentinel platform is not a product, it is a system, comprising the Sentinel habitat itself, of course, but also the next generation of DEEP submersibles, suits and a holistic training and safety operating system developed and delivered through the DEEP Institute at our Campus” notes Steve Etherton, President (EMEA). “While the Sentinel system is undeniably ground-breaking, it represents only a first step in building a robust organization to enable deeper understanding of the ocean. NASA is not a rocket manufacturer, and likewise DEEP is not only a Sentinel manufacturer.”
Following two years of intensive and pioneering research into cutting-edged advanced manufacturing processes and materials science, including the design of the largest WAAM 3D manufacturing capability in Europe, DEEP has received design approval in principle from DNV, one of the world’s foremost certification and classing authorities.
“The Sentinel system is not theoretical, nor is it just renderings marketed to help raise capital or generate interest – we are already well into advanced engineering and approval. Manufacturing has already begun,” says Michael Shackleford, DEEP’s President (Global Infrastructure).