SEAVAX ™  2 AI  - PATENT DESCRIPTION GB2622325.5

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OCEAN CONDITIONER - This original SeaVax vessel was designed to operate in fleets to target ocean waste before it settles on the ocean floor where nobody can recover it. There is nothing like it in existence today, though other ideas for trapping plastic waste are being developed, such as that of Boyan Slat and the Seabin. SeaVax was to be made more cost effective in operational terms with AmphiMax versatility that slashes the cost of production and servicing by using a amphibious portable dock for assembly, launch and servicing. SeaVax would have been the only ocean going machine capable of harvesting ghost fishing nets. Eleven years on from 2015, in 2026 there is still nothing that can do that.

PATENT SPECIFICATION - DESCRIPTION

TITLE: SEAVAX2 (RIVERVAX2) AI-DRIVEN AUTONOMOUS SELECTIVE AQUATIC FILTRATION VESSEL SYSTEM, RECONFIGURABLE SEPARATION METHOD, AND SEANET AI-DRIVEN FLEET MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE

2. BACKGROUND & FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to autonomous waterborne surface vehicles (USVs), selective fluid separation assemblies, and robotic environmental remediation systems. More particularly, the invention relates to floating platforms equipped with reconfigurable multi-stage filtration systems, real-time debris and flora/fauna discrimination, zero-emission renewable power plants, and AI-driven satellite-integrated fleet control networks for large-scale marine (seas/oceans), littoral, and riverine pollution recovery.

Background and Economic Context of the Invention

According to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), between 8 million and 12 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans annually, originating predominantly from uncontrolled dumping into river networks, coastal runoff, and maritime activities.

To address a global pollution flux of this magnitude, any technological solution must balance hydrodynamic sweep capacity against the practical fleet economics of manufacturing and deployment:

1. Fleet Scalability & Production Constraints: Exceedingly large marine structures require specialized naval shipyards for construction, severely limiting global build capacity, increasing unit capital costs, and restricting maintenance accessibility. Conversely, undersized craft lack the volumetric intake sweep necessary to cover vast oceanic gyres within meaningful timeframes. The present system optimizes platform dimensioning to maximize sweep area relative to hull displacement, enabling mass production across standard commercial shipyards once international legislative frameworks establish a viable market mechanism.

2. Operational Hardware Robustness & Simplicity: To maintain cost efficiency across multi-vessel fleet deployments, physical components must prioritize mechanical simplicity, modularity, and structural robustness over overly complex mechanical geometries, reducing capital expenditure and field maintenance requirements.

3. Versatility Across Deep Water, Littoral, and Riverine Operating Environments: Ocean-going blue-water operations typically focus on surface and near-surface debris (0 to 3 meters depth). However, riverine, estuary, and close-to-shore littoral operations (RiverVax configurations) often encounter localized currents, shallow drafts, or submerged waste layers requiring deeper or dynamically adjusted collector head placements. Fixed forward-only intake positions restrict vessel maneuverability in shallow or confined waterways.

4. Lack of Material Discrimination & Fleet Coordination: Prior recovery craft lack upstream optical/sonar systems capable of distinguishing synthetic polymers from marine life, and operate as isolated units without basin-scale predictive modeling of debris drift, leading to inefficient transit and inability to target primary riverine dumping nodes.

There exists an urgent need for a flexible, energy-autonomous filtration system capable of selective material processing across adaptable hull configurations while operating as part of an artificially intelligent, satellite-directed global fleet.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a scalable, reconfigurable aquatic waste harvesting platform and AI fleet management system that addresses the aforementioned prior art limitations.

Primary aspects of the invention include:

1. Flexible Platform Architecture: A waterborne platform (e.g., multi-hull, catamaran, trimaran, or specialized monohull) fabricated from structural materials, housing an internal reconfigurable fluid processing matrix. The intake and processing assemblies may be arranged at forward, midship, or aft positions of the vessel structure to suit specific operational depths (ranging from surface layer to depths exceeding 3 meters) and shallow-draft riverine or littoral environments.

2. Variable-Geometry Intake Assemblies: Dynamic collector structures incorporating articulating booms that deploy laterally to establish an expanded intake sweep width relative to vessel length.

3. Optical & Sonar Discrimination Suite: An upstream sensor suite combining optical recognition, artificial neural network (ANN) image classification, multi-frequency sonar, and spectral analysis to discriminate between synthetic debris (plastics, nylon netting, industrial waste) and living marine organisms or natural floating biomass (fish, mammals, sargassum, kelp).

4. Reconfigurable Multi-Stage Filtration Matrix: An internal processing system comprising a plurality of selectively engaged filtration pathways. Dependent on detected waste characteristics, fluid and entrained matter are dynamically routed through one or more processing modules:

- mechanical cutting and shredding assemblies (for ghost nets, ropes, and entangling lines);
- hydrocyclonic separation chambers (for density-based particle fractioning);
- variable mesh filtration belts or escalators (for macro- and micro-plastic extraction); and
- organic bypass channels (for safe discharge of non-target marine fauna and flora).

5. Zero-Emission Renewable Power Architecture: A hybrid renewable power plant configured to supply continuous propulsion and operational power, utilizing solar, wind, green hydrogen, e-methanol fuel cells, or combinations thereof, providing long-range energy autonomy and supporting high-energy biomass or heavy waste processing.

6. Artificial Intelligence Fleet Architecture (SeaNet): An AI network integrating real-time satellite remote sensing, ocean current modelling, and river discharge data to target major pollution nodes, plot energy-optimized fleet routing across major oceans, track illegal dumping points for regulatory enforcement, and coordinate multi-vessel operations to systematically tackle global plastic flux targets.

4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the functional operation and system architecture:

Structural Configuration & Intake Positioning

The vessel platform comprises a waterborne hull structure engineered for structural simplicity and standardized manufacturing. The intake collector head, fluid pumps, and internal separation matrices are modularly configured and may be integrated into:

- Forward Intake Configurations: Suited for ocean-going surface and near-surface sweeping (0 to 3 meters depth) where forward motion assists fluid ingestion into the collection channel.

- Aft or Midship Intake Configurations: Suited for shallow-draft riverine, estuary, or close-to-shore littoral operations (RiverVax configurations), allowing the collector head, conveyances, and shredding stages to operate at variable or deeper submerged angles behind or within the main hull, protecting intake structures during river navigation and improving maneuverability in confined waters.

Upstream Discrimination & Dynamic Routing

Upstream of the active filtration zone, a sensor array continuously scans the water column. When the sensor suite detects synthetic polymers or entangling ghost nets, the autonomous control system engages corresponding internal pathways:

1. Entangling Net Mode: Fluid is directed through heavy-duty mechanical cutters/shredders to sever ropes and netting into manageable fragments prior to de-watering.
2. Micro-Particle Mode: Fluid is directed through hydrocyclonic separation chambers and fine mesh matrices to fractionate sub-millimeter synthetic particles.
3. Organic Biomass / Non-Target Mode: Upon detecting marine fauna or natural floating flora (such as sargassum or kelp), fluid flow is dynamically routed through an organic bypass channel or low-velocity diversion flow to safely return non-target material to the water column without mechanical harm.

Renewable Power & Auxiliary Hydrogen Support

The propulsion and processing systems draw power from an onboard zero-emission renewable energy management system. For routine ocean cruising and surface skimming, energy harvested from photovoltaic arrays (and optional) wind turbines satisfies operational demand. For high-drag or energy-intensive processing operations—such as heavy net shredding, deep-water pumping, or harvesting dense biomass—the power management system automatically engages auxiliary green hydrogen or e-methanol fuel cells.

AI Fleet Operations & UNEP Regulatory Integration

A distributed artificial intelligence control system fuses local vessel sensor telemetry with orbital satellite imagery and hydrodynamic drift models. The AI calculates energy-efficient passage routes for individual vessels across major oceanic basins and primary river estuaries. By mapping localized concentrations of waste discharge over time, the system identifies illegal riverine dumping sources and logs timestamped, geospatially verified pollution tracking data for submission to national authorities and international environmental bodies (such as UNEP) to support enforcement and prosecution under applicable legislation.

RIVERVAX PILOT - This prototype vessel could have leapt ahead of other designs to become a reality in 2022 with appropriate levels of support for the development consortium from the European Commission. Forward Sea and RiverVax models will not feature wind turbines. Following a study concluded in 2022, by a Belgian masters degree student. Thank you L : )

WHAT IS SEAVAX 2.0 AI?

THE UNITED NATIONS UNEP - Could SeaVax be a part solution for UN goals?

CAPEX AND OPEX - What level of G20 investment is required?

HEALTHIER OCEANS & BLUE GROWTH - What are the health benefits?

INVESTABILITY - Can SeaVax 2.0 AI be a commercial success?

WHERE DOES AI COME IN? - Will artificial intelligence make a difference?

WHAT IS THE MARKET VALUE OF OCEAN PLASTIC? - Is it worth fishing for marine plastic? 

CERTIFICATION - How will the ocean plastic be verified for credits?

WORLD BANK, IMF & UNEP - Are there any match funding opportunities?

CIRCULAR (PLASTIC) ECONOMY - FISHING GROUNDS

PATENT APPLICATION - GB2622325.5 23rd September 2026

PATENT ABSTRACT - DESCRIPTION - CLAIMS

There are 5 swirling ocean garbage patches called gyres:

1. North Atlantic Gyre

2. South Atlantic Gyre

3. Indian Ocean Gyre

4. North Pacific Gyre

5. South Pacific Gyre

The ocean is a vast expanse of salt water: a shared asset.

TESTING - Chris Close (Project Director) is seen here watching the SeaVax proof of concept boat filter plastic particles from water in our test tank facilities, in this case small polystyrene pieces were scattered on the surface and recovered using twin hydrocyclonic chambers to trap the plastic, while clean water was returned to the tank.

PRESS RELEASE - AUTUMN 2026

AI Could Turn a Shelved British Ocean‑Cleaning Robot into a Global Plastic‑Harvesting Workhorse

For years, the SeaVax project sat as a symbol of what might have been: a solar‑powered robotic vessel designed to filter plastic from the ocean, capable of separating micro‑ and macro‑plastics while avoiding marine life using optical recognition systems. It was an idea ahead of its time — and, crucially, ahead of its funding. By 2020 the volunteer engineering team had disbanded under mounting mortgage arrears, and the Cleaner Ocean Foundation reluctantly shelved development after repeated EU funding refusals .

But a decade later, something fundamental has changed. Not in the oceans — which continue to choke on plastic — but in the technology landscape. Artificial intelligence, once a speculative footnote in the SeaVax documentation (“we need satellites and computer analytics to speed up our learning curve” ), has matured into a powerful, commercially proven tool capable of transforming the economics of ocean cleanup.

And that shift may finally make SeaVax — or a modern successor — viable.

A robot cleaner that was too early for its own good

SeaVax was conceived as a fully autonomous, solar‑powered ocean filtration machine. Its 13‑metre collector head funnels plastic into a multi‑stage filtration system, including hydrocyclones for microplastic separation . The vessel can store up to 150 cubic metres of treated plastic — roughly 50 tonnes between offloading cycles .

The concept was bold, elegant and — in hindsight — missing one critical ingredient: a way to reliably find plastic.

The team knew this. They wrote openly that locating plastic was “much the same as going fishing… you need to know where to let go the nets” . They recognised that satellites could help, but in 2015–2020 the AI tools needed to interpret satellite data simply didn’t exist at practical scale.

Today they do.

AI changes everything — including the economics

Modern AI can detect floating debris in multispectral satellite imagery with high accuracy. It can forecast plastic drift using ocean current models, wind fields and storm data. It can coordinate fleets of autonomous vessels, optimising routes, energy use and offloading schedules.

Applied to SeaVax, that means one thing: efficiency.

The original SeaVax model assumed a 10‑day cycle to locate, harvest and offload plastic. With AI‑guided routing, that cycle drops to around six days — a 67% increase in plastic recovered per vessel per year. That uplift is not speculative; it is consistent with gains seen in other AI‑optimised maritime operations.

For a proposed fleet of 300 vessels — the scale SeaVax’s designers believed necessary to tackle the world’s major gyres — the difference is staggering:

Non‑AI fleet: ~540,000 tonnes/year

AI‑optimised fleet: ~900,000 tonnes/year

An additional 360,000 tonnes of plastic removed annually — equivalent to more than 3% of global ocean plastic input.

This is the kind of number that changes investor sentiment.

The missing commercial hook: Verified Ocean Recovered Plastic

One of the most overlooked aspects of the SeaVax proposal is that ocean‑recovered plastic is not worthless waste — it is a premium commodity.

Brands already pay significantly more for Verified Ocean Recovered Plastic, using it in packaging, textiles and consumer goods to meet sustainability commitments. The SeaVax documentation itself argued that “laws are needed to give a sufficiently high monetary value to genuinely harvested ocean plastic” and that such value could make the system commercially viable rather than philanthropic .

Today, that value exists.

A robotic fleet capable of producing authenticated, traceable ocean‑recovered plastic — with satellite‑verified harvesting locations and AI‑logged collection data — would be uniquely positioned in a growing market. Investors who once balked at the philanthropic framing of SeaVax may now see a blue‑economy asset class with measurable returns.

And for the United Nations Environment Programme, which warns of 13,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre in some regions , the appeal is obvious: a scalable, low‑carbon cleanup system that pays for itself.

A solution that was politically impossible — until AI made it economically irresistible

The SeaVax team’s biggest barrier was not engineering but politics. “Without the political will… all the solutions in the world will never see the light of day,” they wrote in 2017 . Funding applications were rejected, governments hesitated, and the project stalled.

AI changes that calculus.

A system that is:

- 50–70% more efficient
- cheaper to operate
- capable of producing premium recycled material
- aligned with UN SDG14

and scalable to global deployment

…is no longer a philanthropic moonshot. It is an environmental infrastructure project with commercial legs.

The tragedy is that SeaVax was simply too early. The opportunity now is that its core design — modular, solar‑powered, autonomous, and already partially prototyped — remains one of the most detailed ocean‑cleanup concepts ever developed.

With AI, it becomes something new: a viable, profitable, globally coordinated ocean‑harvesting fleet.

The question now is not whether SeaVax could work — but who will pick up the baton

The original team is gone. The prototype sits in a museum in Sussex, a reminder of what innovation looks like when political will fails to meet environmental urgency.

But the oceans have not stopped accumulating plastic. The technology has caught up. The economics have shifted. And the world is finally preparing for solutions that are both ambitious and practical.

The original SeaVax was designed for a future that didn’t exist yet.

Now we are almost there.

OPEN WATER - SeaVax is seen here during open water floatation trials. Please note that this is a small (proof of concept) version of any ocean or river floating dustcart that we hope will be tested on the south coast of England as the project progresses. SeaVax is a selective filtration machine that can be configured to target solid plastics and particles. The machine could also be used in oil spill emergencies, or as a selective fishing vessel. The platform could thus be useful in many ways.

OCEAN CLEANING RIG - The SeaVax ocean plastic cleaning vessel is seen here on an AmphiMax beach launcher in 1/20th scale for testing in our water basin. Copyright © photograph 25 June 2018 Cleaner Ocean Foundation. All rights reserved.

LINKS & REFERENCE

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MARINE LIFE - This humpback whale is one example of a magnificent animal that is at the mercy of human activity. Humans are for the most part unaware of the harm their fast-lane lifestyles are causing. We aim to change that by doing all we can to promote ocean literacy.