Visualising the ocean for a sustainable future: Boxfish Robotics

From its base in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Boxfish Robotics is creating world-leading technology that’s changing how we see and understand the ocean.

Combining filmmaking expertise with advanced robotics, Boxfish Robotics develops underwater drones used for everything from global energy projects to award-winning documentaries.

The company’s story began in 2014 at Lake Pupuke on Auckland’s North Shore, when three engineers tested a kitset Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) – an underwater robot controlled from the surface via a tether. The experience convinced them they could design something far better.

“We were all engineers – electrical, software and mechanical,” recalls co-founder Craig Anderson. “We looked at these kits and thought, ‘Let’s build something better.’ That was the beginning of Boxfish.”

A mission with global impact

From early prototypes tested in a backyard kids’ pool, Boxfish has grown into a globally recognised leader in underwater imaging technology, with a clear mission: to visualise the ocean for a sustainable future.

“The ocean is under threat from climate change, overfishing and invasive species,” says Anderson. “With 93 percent of New Zealand’s territory covered by ocean, and 70 percent of our native species living in the marine environment, we combine our underwater knowledge of filmmaking and optics with robotics to support marine scientists and filmmakers tackling those threats.”

This purpose drives every project. "It’s about giving scientists and documentary makers the tools to see what was previously unseen."

The better we can visualise the ocean, the better we can protect it.

Groundbreaking technology for filmmakers and scientists

The company’s flagship ROV product is the Boxfish Luna. Launched in 2021, Luna is the world’s first underwater drone designed specifically for high-end filmmaking.

“Before Luna, traditional ROVs moved like robots and had poor quality video and harsh lighting,” explains Anderson. “They weren’t suitable for cinematic work. With Luna, filmmakers finally have smooth movement, 8K footage, and the ability to film to 1000 metres deep with a small crew and no risks for health.”

Footage captured with the Boxfish Luna has been featured in productions for major global broadcasters, including Netflix, TVO and others. Luna remains the company’s flagship product for documentary filmmakers and marine scientists requiring the highest resolution capture.

Another breakthrough is Boxfish’s Autonomous Resident Vehicle (ARV-i). “It’s fully autonomous, lives underwater and recharges itself in a dock,” explains Anderson.

That means it can stay submerged long-term, always ready for inspection work.

The ARV-i follows mission plans that can be uploaded from a computer anywhere in the world while monitoring and control can be performed while the tetherless ARV-i is out on a mission.

Boxfish in action

From powering a renewable energy trial project in Scotland to uncovering hidden environmental crises in North America, Boxfish technology is helping people see and understand the underwater world in new ways.

In Scotland, Boxfish’s ARV-i was deployed alongside a wave power generator. Docking and undocking from within a seabed-mounted battery, it enabled continuous monitoring in an environment normally accessible only via costly offshore vessels.

The trial demonstrated how autonomous systems can cut operational costs while ensuring critical infrastructure is safely and consistently inspected.

In North America’s Great Lakes, invasive mussels have devastated ecosystems by consuming plankton and disrupting the food chain.

Working with scientists, documentary filmmakers used the Boxfish Luna to capture unprecedented footage of the lakebeds, fish behaviour and shipwrecks. The footage made it easy to see just how bad things had become, sparking interest in tackling the problem.

Why Auckland is the perfect base

While Boxfish has a universal reach, its growth is closely tied to Auckland’s strengths as an innovation hub.

“There’s strong access to university talent and R&D projects,” says Boxfish Robotics Marketing Manager Vera Bronza. “One project with the University of Auckland focused on navigation and ran for two years. More recently, we’ve worked with the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) on blue economy projects, including deploying technology to monitor underwater equipment in fish farm sustainability projects."

Auckland is centrally placed and supported by a strong network of skills and plant. “We’ve got great local suppliers,” Bronza continues. “Our pressure housings, for example, are made just south of Auckland. We tried sourcing the same specs overseas, but their versions failed pressure tests. The local ones have never let us down.”

For a highly specialised company like Boxfish, the ability to attract skilled engineers and innovators from around the world is critical. Auckland’s mix of career opportunities, quality of life, and a welcoming environment for families helps Boxfish bring in the talent it needs to scale globally.

“When you bring people here, you also have to attract their spouses and families,” says Bronza.

Auckland is a fantastic place to attract global talent, particularly for its quality, balanced lifestyle and good education options.

From Auckland to the world

Today, Boxfish has a team of 12 based in Auckland, with manufacturing, R&D and warehousing all under one roof. Most sales are direct, though the company also works with resellers in Japan, Malaysia and the UK.

“We’ve shipped systems all over the world,” says Anderson. "And often, customers even combine maintenance trips with a holiday in New Zealand. They bring their units here, enjoy their time, and we handle the servicing."

The company is increasingly visible on the global stage. “Ocean Business in the UK earlier this year had a huge impact on growing awareness about our work,” notes Anderson. “More than 300 exhibitors, and the level of interest was amazing. It confirmed that what we’re building in Auckland is world class.”

With increasing international demand and a mission rooted in sustainability, Boxfish Robotics is proving that world-leading marine technology can be built, and scaled, right here in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.