Subsea: The Future of Unmanned Vehicles
.The Path AheadWhile there are obvious differences between AUVs and ROVs, some like Kinnaman of Greensea see the lines of differentiation blurring, particular as autonomy evolves.“Autonomy and integration technologies are the main (technology) drivers,” said Kinnaman. “Autonomous technologies in ROV systems are driving us to reconsider how we crew offshore operations, enabling plans involving resident systems, and opening the option of keeping crews on the beach versus offshore. Autonomous technologies are also enabling the adoption of subsea vehicles and marine robotic
Mapping the Future
.And how will your product ultimately help maritime users?Development in automated data processing and development of information products will ultimately benefit maritime users. We are working towards faster and more efficient ways of delivering products to end users and general public.Maritime autonomous technologies are evolving rapidly. Our team concept is unique as it utilizes a new class of surface vessel that can transport, deploy and retrieve underwater data collection vehicles. This represents a tremendous leap forward in autonomous technology because it provides high resolution deep ocean mapping
Machines Infused with AI that Fly, Swarm and Dive
Can mimicking insect behavior provide a way to map the ocean floor? Can robotic-controlled flying and diving drones be both bird-like and fish-like in the race to explore the ocean depths? As a global group of 19 semi-finalist teams in the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE compete to create innovative autonomous technologies to image and chart the unknown in a cold, dark and hull-crushing undersea world at depths down to 4,000 meters, we look to the innovation that will advance our understanding of our planet. In exploring the deep ocean, we’re seeing that new robotic approaches can open
RoboSub Competition: 20 Years of Fun and Learning
extend the air, surface, underwater and ground vehicle capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps, as shown in recent exhibitions like Unmanned Warrior and the S2ME2 ANTX [Ship-to-Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation Advanced Naval Technology Exercise]. "As unmanned and autonomous technologies advance, the Navy will continue to improve the science behind autonomous vehicles," said Deitz. "We hope today's RoboSub participants will become those engineers, and contribute great ideas and innovative concepts about what the next unmanned systems will look like and how they
Voices: Sean Halpin
. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are an excellent example of this. Once considered fringe tools, ROVs now dominate the robotics oil and gas subsea landscape. Discuss how autonomous systems are evolving from ‘novel’ systems to workhorses. Over the past years marine autonomous technologies have matured to the point where robots have transformed from novel systems to industry workhorses. From ROVs to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), these systems have been gone through years of sea trials, global missions and have been used across to
When It Comes to Inspiring Innovation, 'X' Marks the Spot
Orteig kick-started the private aviation industry; and, the Ansari XPrize won in 2004 started the private space flight industry, now valued in excess of $3bn. The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, launched in December 2015, is a $7 million competition incentivizing teams to develop autonomous technologies for high-resolution deep-sea floor mapping and high-definition imagery. One of the recognized market failures in mapping the deep-sea (or, in fact, in collecting any meaningful and extensive data at scale from the deep-sea) has been the expense of operating vessels at sea. The Shell Ocean
IHC Takes Majority Stakes in Tompkins
are strengthening their strategic cooperation with IHC’s acquisition of a majority stake in Tompkins, the parent company of Modus Seabed Intervention and a partner in the TI Geosciences joint venture (that IHC and Tompkins created in 2015). Modus is a specialist provider of remote and autonomous technologies for subsea and seabed intervention. It has industry-leading capabilities in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services and currently deploys a fleet of work class ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in construction and drill support, as well as survey and inspection activities. With
