Revolutionizing the Cleaning of Fish Tanks: Innovation Award Nominee

The unique washing robot ˣAQ™ is developed by Norwegian company EasyX. The robot makes the cleaning process of fish tanks simpler, safer, and more predictable than manual cleaning – and is now nominated for the Innovation Award 2023.

The robot can clean a fish tank in a tenth of the time it takes to manually clean each tank and thus contributes to making operations at the facility more efficient.

Nominated for the Innovation Award 2023

The company behind the Vertical Cleaning Robot ˣAQ™, EasyX, has been nominated for the Innovation Award, which will be assigned during Aqua Nor 2023.

— It means a lot to us to be nominated for the Innovation Award. EasyX is a company still in its start-up phase, so it is fantastic to receive recognition that what we do is important for the industry and the future, says Sindre Hansen, CEO and founder of EasyX.

From Painting Houses to Cleaning Fish Tanks

It all started with an idea when Sindre and a colleague were painting the facade of a house; they wanted to develop a robot that could do the work for them.

CCO and co-founder of EasyX, Jan Fredrik Gjerstad, grew curious about the idea and contacted Sindre. With extensive experience in the aquaculture industry, Jan Fredrik was interested in whether the same robotic technology could be used to clean and disinfect fish tanks at hatcheries and land-based facilities. After thorough fieldwork, the team confirmed his suspicion shortly after.

Vertical Cleaning Robot (VCR)

The cleaning robot moves vertically along the walls of the fish tank and cleans up to 3,500 m² per hour. It has a front spray wand with five nozzles which works as a high-pressure washer, as well as a foam nozzle on the back.

— The robot can move on all surfaces, even the most slippery of walls – which distinguishes the robot from other solutions. But most importantly; it can clean empty fish tanks. Currently, this is the only cleaning robot on the market that cleans the tanks after emptying fish and water. Washing empty fish tanks also eliminates the risk of infection via water, Sindre explains.

The robot must be administered by an assigned operator but is currently in development to become fully automatic and self-powered.

From Manual Cleaning to Robotic Cleaning

Up until now, cleaning empty fish tanks has been a manual job, usually carried out by the employees at the hatcheries. The cleaning robot will save breeders unnecessary time and effort on manual cleaning.

Jan Fredrik has extensive experience from the aquaculture industry. He believes this solution has been lacking for many years.

— Manual cleaning is a demanding job. I have stood for hours in slippery tanks and scrubbed, quickly getting tired in both my back, shoulders, and knees. With even a minor slip of thoughtlessness, you might damage yourself and the equipment, especially if you are cleaning at heights. Additionally, people have high expectations of the degree of cleanliness, which is crucial to avoid transferring bacteria and viruses between batches.

— We got feedback indicating that cleaning fish tanks has been a thorn in the side for most breeders. In response, we have developed a product that can remove this irritation. The washing robot is doing the dirty work for them, explains Sindre.

Launching an Updated Version for Aqua Nor

EasyX will be exhibiting the robot at Aqua Nor in August.

— The newest version of the robot has a new design and several changes from the first prototype and is developed together with Kongsberg Innovation and Eker Design. We are looking forward to launching and displaying the upgraded version at the trade fair in August, concludes Sindre.

You can find EasyX at stand D-303 (hall D) during Aqua Nor 2023!

The winner of the Innovation Award 2023 will be announced during Aqua Nor on Thursday, August 24^th, at 11:30am in Mendelsohn Conference Hall in Trondheim Spektrum.