The REFINE (Fins reshoring for a fine engineered factory) project aims to re-shore the design, production and innovation of scuba diving fins to SEACSUB, the manufacturer in Italy.  

SEACSUB, an aquatic equipment brand, produces many different products, including wetsuits and diving goggles, as well as fins. In this project, the focus will lie specifically on the fins, which have been part of the manufacturer’s portfolio for a long time. Currently, the fins are partly produced overseas. The purpose of this project is to use technology from Canonical Robots and artistic experimentation with NMASA Design to rethink and re-shore an existing fin product, thereby avoiding transport emissions, logistical issues, reducing waste and increasing the capacity for innovation and experimentation. 

The REFINE project will explore beyond the conventional boundaries of the scuba diving fin by looking at how this extension of the foot in the water can become something more and exploring how materials can be used in such a way to reduce waste, energy, materials and effects in the water. The team will do this by introducing a collaborative robot into the factory which will be programmed to produce the experiments developed by the artist.