The object
Esben Beck invented the Stingray underwater robot, which uses image recognition and high-precision lasers to find and eliminate sea lice on farmed salmon and trout. The physical aquaculture system can monitor fish welfare while treating parasites without chemical delousing, and has been deployed in Norwegian fisheries.
What Esben did
Invented and led technical development of an underwater robot that detects and eliminates sea lice on farmed salmon and trout.
Why it matters
The Stingray robot joined machine vision and laser hardware to provide a non-chemical, automated approach to a major aquaculture parasite problem.
Living-status check
The EPO's 2026 award-jury biography identifies Beck as Stingray's founder and current senior advisor; the Norwegian Industrial Property Office published a person-specific Stingray inventor profile in 2025.