Eric Stackpole

About

I'm an engineer and ocean technologist focused on making exploration more accessible.

I co-founded OpenROV, helping pioneer low-cost, open-source underwater robots used by thousands of people worldwide.

My work has ranged from developing spacecraft systems at NASA to contributing to Antarctic under-ice exploration with the SCINI ROV and building hardware for deep-sea expeditions.

I'm a co-founder of Sofar Ocean Technologies, where I've worked on global ocean sensing systems that improve understanding of ocean conditions in real time. I was also featured on-screen in the National Geographic television series OceanXplorers.

My work centers on building practical tools that allow more people to directly explore and understand the world around them.

Eric Stackpole on a research vessel beside submersible equipment, with an acrylic dome and instrument racks in the background.
Make: magazine cover featuring Eric Stackpole, OpenROV co-creator, holding an underwater robot kit, with Explore the Deep and project headlines.
Eric Stackpole in formal attire and cold-weather boots on Antarctic ice next to an Adélie penguin, with a distant snow-covered mountain.