Les saken på norsk F&Z Solutions has developed a custom environmental DNA (eDNA) pump in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). Together with the autonomous drone Pamela, the solution will now be used in multiple research projects in Norway and abroad. USV Pamela is a small and lightweight uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) developed by F&Z Solutions in Trondheim for environmental monitoring in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. The platform enables the collection of high-resolution spatial data with great efficiency and minimal operational complexity. Andrea Faltynkova, F&Z Solutions. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset, Fremtidens Industri Pamela is already being used by NINA, which applies environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to map biodiversity and monitor species of particular ecological and management interest. Living organisms constantly release traces of DNA into their surroundings—in the form of skin cells, hair, saliva, feces, and more. By collecting these traces, we can use DNA technology to determine which species are present in a given area, without needing to capture or observe them directly, explains Frode Fossøy, senior researcher at NINA. eDNA has proven to be both more cost-effective and, in many cases, more accurate than traditional field-based monitoring methods. Assembly of the Pamela drone at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research – NINA. Photo: NINA Autonomous DNA sampling With the Pamela drone, NINA can now collect eDNA samples even more efficiently. The autonomous vehicle can cover large areas while simultaneously collecting plankton and filtering water using the newly developed pump from F&Z Solutions. “These samples give us a far more representative picture of biodiversity in a lake or a marine harbor,” says Fossøy. “In addition, the GPS-based autonomous navigation enables us to repeat the exact same transect later, which is essential when monitoring changes in biodiversity over time.” DNA analysis of the plankton samples reveals which crustaceans are present in the water column, while the filtered samples can detect everything from fish to aquatic insects. This year, Pamela will be used in several monitoring projects, including studies on how hydropower production affects biodiversity in regulated reservoirs. The hydropower industry has shown great interest in eDNA, and with Pamela and the new pump, we now have a powerful tool to support that kind of ecological mapping.” Senior researcher Frode Fossøy. Photo: NINA EU-funded pilot project – and support from Testination The new eDNA pump was developed in close collaboration between researchers at NINA and the team at F&Z Solutions. The pump is now part of a pilot series being deployed in the EU-funded research project PINKTrack, which aims to track the spread of invasive pink salmon in European waterways. Units are now being delivered to research partners in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, and Greenland. The production of this pilot series is co-funded by Testination, a shared platform that brings together test infrastructure in the Trøndelag region. Testination helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop and validate new technology by providing access to facilities and expertise that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Testination is part of the Norwegian Katapult program, run through the DigiCat centre. It plays a key role in strengthening the maritime autonomy ecosystem in Norway. Key partners include NTNU, SINTEF, Maritime Robotics, OceanTech Innovation, Torghatten, and Boreal. “Our collaboration with F&Z Solutions has been extremely fruitful. They took the challenge head-on and developed a product we are very happy with,” says Fossøy. F&Z Solutions currently has the capacity to include 1–2 more projects in the pilot and welcomes inquiries from researchers with relevant field sampling campaigns. The Pamela drone from F&Z Solutions. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster From Trondheimsfjorden to Europe F&Z Solutions is a member of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster and an incubator company in FI Ocean Space Incubator, part of the ESA BIC (European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre) program. “F&Z Solutions is a great example of how ESA BIC-supported technology can be applied in both space-related and Earth-based domains. Their ability to enter the European market with a solution developed in close collaboration with Norwegian researchers shows the strength of this type of partnership,” says Linda Hald, European Affairs Advisor for ESA BIC and Fremtidens Industri. Senior researcher Frode Fossøy and chief engineer Rolf Sivertsgård from NINA testing Pamela drone in the harbor basin at Brattøra in Trondheim. Want to learn more? For questions contact: Andrea Faltynkova, Co-founder & Environmental Scientist F&Z Solutions Phone: +47 967 06 776 andfalty@gmail.com www.fzsolutions.no Frode Fossøy, Senior Researcher Norwegian Institute for Nature Research – NINA Phone: +47 996 92 303 frode.fossoy@nina.no www.nina.no/NINAGEN
The new lightweight drone Pamela joins Ocean Autonomy Cluster. F & Z Solutions is manufacturing lightweight, portable drones that collect data from the water surface using sensors that provide real-time data and/or collect physical samples. The founder Andrea Faltynkova just signed membership in Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Andrea is originally from Canada and has been living in Norway for almost 8 years. She has completed a master's and a Ph.D. in Marine Chemistry and Toxicology at NTNU, finishing her Ph.D. in January 2024. The lightweight, portable drone Pamela Over the past two years, she has collaborated with Artur Zolich, who at the time was a postdoc in cybernetics at NTNU, and together they developed a lightweight, portable drone for sampling microplastics (this was the topic of her doctoral thesis). This was the starting point for the solution they offer today. The goal of the platform is to enhance environmental monitoring capacity while lowering the threshold for data collection, Andrea says. This makes it cheaper and easier to collect more data of higher quality, enabling better interpretation of the environmental condition. Artur Zolich co-founder of F & Z Solutions The drone named Pamela can be used by researchers, public monitoring programs, and the industry to map pollution and optimize production. What makes them unique is that they focus on the environment, creating a product that can be used without experience or expertise in robotics. As Artur says, they are a drone company for people who don't care about drones. What makes them interesting is how they can solve mapping and monitoring problems in a simple and cost-effective way. Pamela at work. Routine tests in Aker Brygge,Oslo. Photo: Artur Zolich We are a new start-up that was founded in early 2024, and we joined OAC to build a network within marine technology. We are one of many drone companies originating from NTNU, and we hope that we can learn from others' experiences. We look forward to collaborating with other companies in OAC, especially on an international scale. We are in the early stages of our startup, and thus, we are also interested in the incubator that OAC offers, Andrea says. With my background in biology, I am particularly interested in learning more about the marine tech environment, while also contributing my perspective as an environmental researcher. Glad to have Pamela on board We are really glad to have Pamela on board as a new member, Says Frode Halvorsen, manager for Ocean Autonomy Cluster. This is evidence of the flourishing ocean tech community in Trondheim and technology that has found a real-world problem. We are looking forward to introducing Pamela to the rest of the members, and we will do what we can to support their growth Frode Halvorsen, Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Future Innovations Rescued by Pamela Like most good ideas, Pamela was actually a makeshift solution. Artur had asked to have some simple plastic shapes made for buoyancy, but the person supposed to do the job never delivered the product and did not respond to emails. So Artur had to find components for the job that could be bought and used immediately, and then he found the buoys. Artur is originally from Poland, and in Poland, these buoys are called Pamela, after the Baywatch series, of course. It became a natural nickname, and we find that the name helps to make the USV a bit more approachable - it emerges more as a fun tool than a scary machine, which we consider very positive since we aim to introduce USVs to people without a technical background. It was just lucky that the buoys worked great in the end, and it doesn't hurt that the cost is low, Andrea says. Pamela used in fieldwork by Masters student Catherine Deschenes in Runde, Norway. Photo: Andrea Faltynkova. Do you want to know more? Contact: Andrea Faltynkova andfalty@gmail.com pamela.solutions F & Z Solutions on LinkedIn Andrea Faltynkova on LinkedIn