Cameras

​OSIL's Deep-Sea Mining Data Tools​

substrate for sub sampling.The OSIL Giant Piston corer can retrieve cores of up to 60m in length from soft sediments and muds, as the action of the internal piston reduced internal friction and reduces plugging, ultimately providing a less disturbed sample and making it an important tool in the study of marine sediments.OSIL’s range of seabed sampling equipment is also extended to ROV tools. OSIL offer an ROV mounted sediment sampler for collecting (multiple) samples of virtually undisturbed sediment, including the sediment/water interface, and overlying supernatent water, in addition to a programmable

Giant Squid Filmed in America's Backyard

out left and right, pictures were pointed to, opinions were tossed out. The two of us that knew squid the best were "70 percent sure" it was a juvenile giant squid, but we couldn't go any further. We needed one of the best squid experts in the world, Michael Vecchione at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services - National Systematics Laboratory at the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, we were in the midst of a set of strong squalls, so the Internet was down and we had no way to reach him.What happened next was something that we truly never expected. About 30 minutes after Nathan first saw the

New Tech for Wind Blade Inspections

Drones and crawling robots outfitted with special scanning technology could help wind blades stay in service longer, which may help lower the cost of wind energy at a time when blades are getting bigger, pricier and harder to transport, Sandia National Laboratories researchers say.As part of the Department of Energy’s Blade Reliability Collaborative work, funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office, Sandia researchers partnered with energy businesses to develop machines that noninvasively inspect wind blades for hidden damage while being faster and more detailed than traditional inspections

A New USV for Ocean Surveying

A new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for the Chinese market offers an open and low-cost platform to measure water current and direction. Nortek China has integrated Doppler instrumentation on the vehicle to help better meet user requirements for ocean surveying.The new USV has an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) as the main operation platform and uses Remote Desktop, a remote control technique, to communicate with all the instruments installed. This means that the vehicle offers an open and low-cost platform for customers who need to carry out several different tasks at the same time.

Offshore Survey Vessels: Ready for Faster Sensors

context of military applications where value is quantified in the effectiveness with which the mission is executed: you locate an explosive mine over the course of several hours searching without risk to humans and with less margin for human error. Fast forward 10 years, now in the role as CEO of LeeWay Marine, I am again evaluating robots, but from the perspective of finding a commercial solution that offers a competitive edge.LeeWay owns and operates survey vessels from the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. COVE is one of several ocean technology

GOT: Comes to Life Using Teledyne Lidar

Imaging hardware and software from Teledyne Optech helped enable 3D spatial data acquisition and visual effects for HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones.  A team, led by Vektra d.o.o. of Croatia, utilized Teledyne’s lidar (light detection and ranging) technology to create a detailed 3D representation of the old city of Dubrovnik, the model for the fictional city of King’s Landing.Lidar is becoming increasingly popular for creating realistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual special effects. Traditionally, lidar has been used for mapping and in construction, civil

Environmental Studies Wrap Up for Exxon Off Guyana

x three water depths) with CTD, sediment sampling (box cores) and drop camera photography.The TDI-Brooks vessel earmarked for this project was the R/V Proteus, a multi-use vessel suited for a wide variety of oceanographic research duties. Efforts in Guyanese waters include support from two Guyanese marine mammal observers and a local Guyanese firm who provided stores and supplies for the vessel along with transportation and import/export clearances while working in Guyana.Maxon Consulting provided the regulatory and interpretative reporting components for the studies

First Ex-certified Portable Infrared and HD Camera

A new peripheral device provides HD digital and thermal imaging technology for inspections and maintenance in potentially hazardous areas.With the Cube 800, the Pepperl+Fuchs brand ecom is launching the first portable and explosion-proof infrared and HD video camera for Zone 1/21 and Div. 1. ecom developed and distributes the Cube 800 in cooperation with Librestream.In combination with the intrinsically safe ecom smartphone series Smart-Ex or tablet series Tab-Ex, workers can remotely control the camera, view HD video and thermal imaging, or capture and annotate pictures or recordings from a safe

MarineNav ROVs for Marine Inspections

MarineNav, located in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has been showcasing its latest technologies and equipment serving defense, aquaculture, law enforcement and first responder needs in marine operations. The company’s offerings include marine-grade navigation components such as computers and displays; advanced vessel monitoring (AVM) and fleet management systems; and customizable industrial underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).Interchangeable ROV componentsFor its ROVs, MarineNav has developed units that are designed to enable quick and easy exchange of interchangeable modular

Subsea Camera: "You never miss anything"

the ability to allow multiple users in multiple locations to see unique views from the same camera, simultaneously.Pictured here at the Sidus booth are (L to R): Leonard Pool, Mark Hopper, VP, and Francis Labonte, both with Montreal-based Vantrix. Look for a feature on the system in a future edition of Marine Technology Reporter magazine

STR, Forssea Agree Exclusive Partnership

French subsea firm Forssea Robotics and UK-based Subsea Technology & Rentals (STR) have agreed a global exclusive partnership.The moves follows a partnership formed between the two companies in June last year (2018). As part of the new partnership, STR has invested in Forssea Robotics Visual LOCalisation (V-LOC) Positioning technology, which will be available globally for operations. The V-LOC positioning system is a computer vision-based method able to track and position underwater markers with millimetric accuracy. The V-LOC technology is embedded inside an innovative camera, called the NAV

Flying new Routes Subsea

infrastructure used for work on the turbines that we can tap into.”Images: Modus Seabed InterventionLast year, Modus deployed a HAUV offshore NW Australia to perform circa 240km of pipeline integrity survey, producing stunning images, as well as point cloud data, of both the pipeline and passing marine life (see inset with detail of the shark’s teeth, taken at 2knts) using a Cathx Scout laser profiling and HD imaging spread alongside a multibeam echosounder (MBES).The survey time was half of what it would have taken using a traditional ROV to perform the survey and it could have been faster

SEAMOR: ROV to Last Ice Project in Canada

SEAMOR Marine will provide a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Manitoba. The vehicle will be deployed to the High Arctic to inspect the area which remains frozen year-round and take part in research and evaluating ways to protect this special ecological region.The High Arctic is an important area encompassing the northern regions of Canada (Arctic Basin, Baffin Bay and the Pikialasorsuaq, or North Water Polynya) and reaches to western Greenland. This area remains frozen throughout the year, for multiple years, acting as an important refuge for ice-depend

Subsea Mining: The Next Big Thing for UUVs

Maritime after doing pipeline inspection work for oil company Equinor. In a press release, the Singapore-based outfit said it was now ready to “go beyond current industry needs”. In fact, early in 2018, Swire Seabed had begun the Norwegian government’s first commercial cruise to map marine mineral resources of copper, lead and silver on the Norwegian continental shelf (by AUV survey and ROV rock sampling).  “This can become a new market for them (Swire Seabed) and possibly for the entire subsea industry,” a Norwegian taxpayer-funded incubator outfit said on its Web

New Subsea Wireless IP Camera Technology

Next generation subsea technology deployed for the first time in the North Sea has helped to improve safety and reduce costcfor an offshore oil and gas project, said Scotland based WFS Technologies.The firms's new cutting-edge computing and subsea wireless IP camera technology deployed on a pipeline construction project enhanced diver safety and generated significant cost savings by avoiding the need for additional subsea vessels, it said.The work was undertaken for a new subsea pipeline which was recently installed and was necessary to bypass a platform being decommissioned. As part of the final

Falcon ROV Helps Endangered Rockfish

Scientists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are undertaking an important conservation study into the threatened rockfish species using a Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle.Senior Marine Fish Research Scientist, Dr. Dayv Lowry, explains that managing the conservation and recovery of rockfish populations in Washington’s Puget Sound, depends on the accurate monitoring of rockfish populations, depleted through overfishing and ecological degradation.“Of the tools we’ve tested, only the Falcon can find and measure the rockfish and other structure-associated

Falcon Helps Endangered Rockfish

in Washington’s Puget Sound were being fished to levels that threatened extinction.Now scientists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are undertaking an important conservation study into the threatened rockfish species using a Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle.Senior Marine Fish Research Scientist, Dr. Dayv Lowry, explains that managing the conservation and recovery of rockfish populations in Washington’s Puget Sound, depends on the accurate monitoring of rockfish populations, depleted through overfishing and ecological degradation.“Of the tools we&rsquo

Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav 700 selected for new under-ice AUV

of the ice. A2KUI will also be equipped for acoustic tracking using Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) system, which is fitted to the UK research vessels RRS James Cook, RRS Discovery and the new polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough.”Dr Alex Phillips, Head of Marine Autonomous Systems Development, at the NOC, says, “The development of Autosub2KUI by the NOC builds on the successes of previous generations of Autosub, including Autosub3, which has previously penetrated up to 60km under the ice from the ice-edge. Autosub2KUI will provide the UK science community

EIVA Launches ROV Steering Software

NaviSuite Mobula is a new software product from EIVA offering advanced steering capabilities to remotely operated vehicle (ROV) owners.The market for the micro- and mini-ROV is under drastic change, with more suppliers entering the market, and prices for the ROVs dropping significantly. The performance of the entry-level ROVs makes them useful for professional use – provided you have the right software capabilities.This is now possible through a NaviSuite product dedicated to ROV steering, NaviSuite Mobula. It includes high-end features from NaviSuite Nardoa, EIVA’s package for high-end

Scientists Find New Hydrothermal Field

to oceanic environments around the globe, as well as allow scientists to identify and frame exciting new questions.This work would not have been possible without the considerate authorization of the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores) to allow for marine scientific research to be conducted in their waters

Kongsberg to Equip Belgian Research Vessel

Kongsberg Maritime will deliver an integrated suite of subsea technology to a new Belgian research vessel. Already under construction at Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, the advanced new replacement for the Belgian research vessel RV Belgica is due to be handed over to the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) in October 2020.Launched in 1984, RV Belgica carried out many years of service, however, emerging mechanical issues in 2013 catalyzed plans to build her replacement. Kongsberg Maritime’s delivery for the new vessel is based on a substantial integrated subsea package, comprising

A SmallSat AUV Network

or augmented by Micro or Nano satellites — SmallSats of 10-100 kilograms or 1-10 kg — a reality. Apart from the command and control of networked AUVS (and other drones) en masse, which is Prof. De Sousa’s specialty, it is hoped that SmallSats will do for ocean understanding and marine operations what the Internet did for marketing and instant knowledge.AUV control“Most of our work is joint, and strategically we all (NTNU, Porto, NASA) are moving in the same direction,” Dr. Rajan says, adding, “So this is both institutional and collective.” Rajan admits

One-on-One with Martin McDonald, SVP, ROV Division, Oceaneering

Martin McDonald, an industry veteran with more than 35 years under his belt, is responsible for Oceaneering’s global ROV business. With a broad based of ROV experience – from operation to repair to maintenance to management – McDonald shares with MTR his insights on the historical development and future prospects of this high-profile subsea sector.How and when did you know that your career would be in the maritime/subsea industry?I grew up in Fraserburgh, Scotland, a small town 40 miles north of the oilfield city of Aberdeen. Fraserburgh is best known for commercial fishing. My

Drones for Coastal Enviro Management

, and describe future developments and applications for coastal ocean observing systems. A comprehensive workshop report is available from the ACT website (www.act-us.info).The workshop also sought to explore the challenges of truly quantitative multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing in coastal marine environments and the legal and privacy issues associated with using drones in public and private lands and ocean spaces.To promote broad input and cross-sector information-sharing, workshop participants included private-sector UAS technology developers and service providers, academic researchers

World First: Video Broadcast Live from Underwater

spectrum.”The broadcast is part of the Nekton Deep Ocean Research Institute’s First Descent expedition, which is exploring some of the world’s least explored areas of the ocean around the Seychelles, as part of a project to increase understanding and aid protection of the marine life they contain.By using a Sonardyne BlueComm free space optical modem on the submersible, and a BlueComm receiver deployed from the hull of the Ocean Zephyr research vessel, real-time video from one of the mission’s two submersibles was able to be streamed through the water and then broadcast

ABS: Guidance for Remote Inspection Technologies

, demonstrate our commitment to continually address new technologies that support safer and less intrusive surveys.”Using digital technology and high definition cameras, ABS said it can collect, trend and provide value to clients with new RITs in a safe and effective way.Developed through extensive marine and offshore trials and testing, the guidance covers a range of areas, including equipment specification, data management, associated management systems, recommended standards for service providers, training requirements and potential operational limitations of RITs

OceanAlpha Launches 5G Unmanned Vehicle

A 5G unmanned surface vehicle recently made its debut in Barcelona, Spain. The new boat was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2019, where fifth generation of mobile communication technology (5G) was the "hottest topic", said Chinese company OceanAlpha, who developed the new vehicle OceanAlpha 5G alongside developed by Ericsson and China Mobile.According to its developer, the unmanned "environmental smart vessel" is designed to help address the problem of water pollution by quickly and efficiently collecting water quality monitoring data, identifying the cause of the

Naviera Tramarsa Adds Another ROV

Offshore operator Naviera Tramarsa has extended its subsea vehicle fleet with a new Cougar XT remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) from manufacturer Saab Seaeye.The 2,000m rated Cougar XT will enter operations in May 2019, joining the company’s Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV, which it has operated for 10 years.Naviera Tramarsa’s main activity is the inspection of oil platforms in the north of Peru for the hydrocarbon exploration and production company Savia Oeru, where the Falcon has undertaken visual inspections and CP measurements.Naviera Tramarsa said the Cougar XT will expand and improve

The “Disruption” in AUV Trends

calculations) can measure all the colors of our (electromagnetic) spectrum, so it sees what you can’t see with your eyes. It can see the kind of metal a plate of metal is or it can look at a coral and see color that you can’t see with your eyes.”Martin Ludvigsen, an NTNU professor of marine technology and manager of the AMOS applied underwater laboratory, or AUV Lab, confirms that years of theoretical work creating “data-driven mission plans” for AUVs are now paying off. In September, an AMOS research cruise reached 82.5 degrees North latitude — just short of the North

Unmanned Vehicles: 25 Years of Milestones

. Science users search for shipwrecks and hydrothermal vents. But the most vibrant commercial sector for AUVs is in offshore energy. Both oil and gas and renewables such as offshore wind employ AUVs for many different types of mission from site characterization & inspection to pipeline inspection. Marine hydrography and 3D pseudo-seismic as well as archaeological studies are also common commercial applications. Today the survey AUV is not just accepted, but expected, in many maritime applications.With survey AUVs becoming commonplace the emerging frontier for AUVs includes novel concepts enabled

Ocean Infinity Searches for Lost S.Korean Ship

The seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced that its vessel, Seabed Constructor, sets sail from Cape Town to begin the search for the lost South Korean ship, Stellar Daisy.Stellar Daisy sank on 31 March 2017, with the tragic loss of 22 of its 24 crew.  The ship, which was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China, is believed to have gone down in the South Atlantic Ocean approximately 1800 nautical miles due west of Cape Town.The Ocean Infinity team is expected to be on site and commencing search operations by mid-February 2019.  Ocean Infinity will use its

Teledyne Gavia: New SeaRaptor 6000m AUV

sensor (CTD) (Teledyne RD Instruments), and onboard processing software (Teledyne Caris). In addition, the first vehicle delivered also carried an Edgetech Side Scan Sonar with Dynamic Focus capability, an iXblue Phins 6K INS system, and a CathX Camera and strobe system. The integration of Teledyne Marine’s industry leading vehicle design, instrumentation, imaging, and interconnect solutions from a single supplier, as well as the incorporation of third party sensors into a turnkey package for customers, makes the company unique in the unmanned underwater vehicle market

USVs Secure Offshore Oil and Gas Infrastructure

While much of the “buzz” regarding America’s increased energy production has focused on onshore fracking, which has opened up billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas to production, the offshore oil and gas industry continued to provide a huge amount of the U.S. energy production. According to Forbes Magazine, offshore energy production has been increasing this decade and now stands at over two-and-one-half million barrels of oil, and almost three trillion cubic feet of gas a day.This massive production effort is sustained by offshore drilling rigs

Swire Seabed Orders a HUGIN AUV

, magnetometer and turbidity sensor.The vehicle will also make use of Kongsberg’s automatic pipeline tracking solution, which utilizes the SAS or multibeam echo sounder to track alongside or above a pipeline, to conduct survey and inspection tasks.Atle Gran, Kongsberg Maritime Area Sales Manager for Marine Robotics, said, “This HUGIN has a wide array of sensors and capabilities making it suitable for many different types of commercial applications including pipeline inspection, geophysical survey and hydrography.”Flexible and self-contained, the AUV will measure approximately 5.2 meters

Ocean Infinity to Conduct AUV Surveys for Petrobras

U.S. based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced Wednesday that its Brazilian partner has been awarded a contract to provide high-resolution hydrographic mapping services to Brazilian national oil company Petrobras.Working under contract to Brazilian offshore consulting company Cepemais, Ocean Infinity will go to work in the the Campos, Espirito Santo and Santos basins offshore Brazil, mapping an area of 5,000km2 and inspecting 12,000km of pipelines. Work will commence in mid-2019, and the contract duration is for three years.Ocean Infinity will operate a fleet of

Autonomy: L3 ASV, Dstl Complete Demos

L3 ASV announced the completion of a series of demonstrations at the Australian Defense Showcase, Autonomous Warrior 18.In support of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), L3 ASV operated a 9-m vessel outfitted with autonomous navigation capability for reconnaissance, interdiction and patrol tasks.The vessel, dubbed MAST-9, operated in fully autonomous mode, including COLREG aware collision avoidance, navigating the waterways at speeds of up to 40 knots, for over 80 hours, across the two-week event. MAST-9 successfully executed seven different task types comprising loiter, shadow

Sensor and AI System for Plymouth Sound

M Subs Ltd has announced it has installed a ‘game changing’ sensor system with connected artificial intelligence (AI) machine-learning technology around Plymouth Sound as part of the vision to turn the city into a center of excellence in maritime autonomy and unmanned vehicles.Plymouth-based M Subs  will operate a secure network of cameras, radars, and other sensors which will provide situational awareness and communications with the unmanned vehicles operating out of the city’s harbor.The system will also provide the command & control of unmanned vehicles using the nearby

Arctic Rays Chooses GTS as West Coast Rep

Arctic Rays LLC, an underwater technology specialist in the design and manufacturing of high-performance lights, cameras and sub-sea equipment, has announced GTS Consulting as the company’s west coast representative. The territory for GTS Consulting on behalf of Arctic Rays includes California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

New Robot Can Sense Plankton Optically and Acoustically

San Diego, uses as its platform a Scripps-developed glider known as Spray. Ohman and Scripps instrument developers outfitted the torpedo-shaped Spray gliders with a camera (called Zoocam) and a device researchers call Zonar that gathers acoustic data about zooplankton – free-drifting microscopic marine animals – in the manner of a sonar instrument.Zooglider can acquire images of zooplankton every five centimeters to depths of 400 meters or more as it channels seawater into an onboard sampling tunnel. The new instrument represents a breakthrough in that it enables observations of microscopic

Ocean Infinity Joins Search for Lost Bulker

U.S. based Ocean Infinity said it has been awarded a contract from the Government of South Korea to search for the wreckage of lost bulk carrier Stellar Daisy, which sank on on March 31, 2017, with 24 people on board.The Stellar Daisy was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China when it was lost in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 2,500 nautical miles due east of Uruguay.Ocean Infinity said it expects to commence search operations in January 2019 using its high-tech fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The company's CEO, Oliver Plunkett, said, “For the sake of all

Kongsberg Unveils HUGIN SUPERIOR AUV

, increasing productive survey time and contributing to reduced OPEX.“The new HUGIN SUPERIOR AUV System is available alongside the existing HUGIN and MUNIN AUV Systems, expanding our product portfolio to cover all market segments and performance requirements,” said Richard Mills, Director, Marine Robotics Sales, Kongsberg Maritime. “Our new flagship AUV is designed to deliver superior data, positioning and mission endurance, enabling users to do more with a single asset than ever before.“Ultimately, it can generate much more data for less operational expenditure, all while offering

Sea Level Variation Study Using GPS and an Ice Profiling Sonar

Dr. David Holland of New York University, in collaboration with Dr. Natalya Gomez at McGill University, is leading an investigation of sea level variations in the Disko Bay region of western Greenland.  A shore-based system compares the direct arrival of GPS signals to the signals reflected off the sea surface to obtain sea level. The presence of sea ice and icebergs complicate the measurements. A shore-mounted camera provides information about the surroundings and the presence of sea ice and icebergs when there is daylight.  Underwater sonar devices can supplement the camera-based

Eight OSD Systems to Petrobras

Sea-state monitoring firm Miros Group is set to supply eight Oil Spill Detection (OSD) systems to Brazilian oil major Petrobras in the world’s largest x-band radar-based OSD surveillance and response contract to date.The agreement is in partnership with Ulstein Belga Marine, primary supplier to Petrobras, and includes radars and thermal imaging cameras for Petrobras Mobile Offshore Production Units (MOPUs) in the Campos Basin. Delivery and commissioning are scheduled for 2019.The backdrop for the record delivery is a February 2018 agreement reached between Petrobras and the Brazilian federal

Subsea Vision & Photogrammetry Lab Formed

Offshore robotics company FORSSEA ROBOTICS chose GMS as main technical partner to certify its real-time visual positioning technologies. A joint laboratory will be created to develop a common offer covering camera calibration, subsea image treatment and innovative photogrammetry solutions.FORSSEA ROBOTICS decided last year to adapt its Atoll ROV embedded visual docking technology into a stand-alone product. The company was already manufacturing and commercializing underwater cameras, mainly for R&D underwater vision applications.The so-called V-LOC (Visual LOCalization) technology has been designed

DeepSea Expands SeaCam Product Line

DeepSea Power & Light is expanding its SeaCam family of subsea imaging solutions with the new IP Multi SeaCam and IP Apex SeaCam. These subsea cameras offer efficient and high-quality compression along with support for common real-time IP streaming and camera management protocols, the manufacturer said.The IP Multi SeaCam provides a compact, fixed focus solution for subsea monitoring and tooling applications. Efficient and high-quality compression provides sub-200 ms latency network streaming with full HD resolution in both the 72° HFOV flat port and 105° HFOV dome port options. The 256 GB

Benthic Completes Esso Survey off Guyana

Geosciences company Benthic completed field work for Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. for an offshore geotechnical investigation and environmental baseline survey in the Stabroeck and Canje blocks offshore Guyana.Benthic said it executed the combined geotechnical and environmental scope of work from the vessel Chouest Sable in Q3 2018.Benthic’s Portable Remotely Operated Drill (PROD 3) and geotechnical equipment collected borehole samples, box and piston cores, grab samples and conducted in-situ PCPT testing at subsea infrastructure locations in water depths up to 3,100 meters.Environme

Hands-on Robotics Training in Australia

Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has begun training students to operate their new Saab Seaeye Falcon remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV).This follows Falcon training for CSIRO staff at the organization’s facility in Hobart, Tasmania, by BlueZone, Saab Seaeye’s distributor in the region.The course was adapted to give hands-on practical training for CSIRO staff in a week-long training program that includes theory and practical sessions, set near dockside facilities in Hobart. The training focuses on real world practicalities.

USV Accompanies The Ocean Cleanup System 001

An unmanned surface vessel (USV) has been launched alongside the revolutionary at-sea garbage-collection system deployed by nonprofit group The Ocean Cleanup to rid the seas of ocean plastic.The Ocean Cleanup System 001, also known as “Wilson”, is undergoing extensive sea trials approximately 350 nautical miles from San Francisco, to test the behavior of the system. If all goes well, it will relocate to the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (GPGP) where it will begin the challenge of removing tons of plastic debris.The USV, manufactured by U.K. based AutoNaut, is accompanying

ISE Sells 6000m-rated AUV to China

Canadian underwater systems and robotics manufacturer International Submarine Engineering Ltd. (ISE) announced it has sold its latest ISE Explorer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to China Ocean Mineral Resource R&D Association (COMRA). This ISE Explorer AUV is the first rated for operations at 6,000 m depth.The modular design of the ISE Explorer enables it to carry multiple payloads in its spacious, swappable, and customizable payload section including Multibeam Echosounders, Sidescan Sonars, Sub-bottom Profilers, Synthetic Aperture Sonars, High Definition Cameras and Laser Systems, CTDs and

Schedule Your "MTR TV" Interview @ Oceans

At Oceans 2018 in Charleston, SC, Marine Technology Reporter will have the "MTR TV" cameras rolling in booth 330 and we invite you to participate. Video interviews are designed to be short and timely, focused on a new technology, product or system, a recent project or a significant company investment or achievement. The MTR staff will be on site for the entire Oceans 2018, and video interview slots are filling up fast. To secure your spot contact Greg Trauthwein (trauthwein@marinelink.com) or Eric Haun (haun@marinelink.com), or call our New York office at +1-212-477-6700.

The Ocean Cleanup Kicks Off

primary objective is to prove the technology and start the cleanup, a secondary goal is to collect performance data to improve the design for future deployments. The system is equipped with solar-powered and satellite-connected sensors, cameras and navigation lights to communicate its position to passing marine traffic, and enable extensive monitoring of the system and the environment. The Maersk Launcher will also remain active as an observation platform for several weeks after delivering System 001 to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.In order to begin tackling the Pacific debris patch covering an area

Subsea Defense: Extending Unmanned Capabilities

The defense sector is looking for ways to extend its reach and capabilities, with underwater robotic and autonomous systems and sensors.Extending the capabilities of submarine warfare systems without the need for humans is a key focus in the marine defense space. Navies feel under threat; they have limited budgets and worries about resurgent maritime forces from Russia and China, while new technologies – robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems – are increasingly available to an ever-wider range of players, creating what are termed asymmetric threats in an ever-wider

Seafloor Crawlers: New Robotic Tools for Challenging Missions

in the lower energy boundary layer. The low profile further minimizes current drag. The vehicle has operated in 1.5-m plunging surf and can cross soft terrain that will not support human loads. Recent tests demonstrated the ability to carry 40-kg payloads as well as tow a 45-kg sled across various marine surfaces.Specs of the Otter-SZC include:Symmetrical dual-sided operation for operation in the heavy surfWeight: 45-kg dry, 1-m long, 55-cm wide and 25-cm high (expandable in length and width)Speed: forward or reverse, variable up to 1-m/sNavigation: 3-axis IMU, FOG, dual encoders, dual-sided, dual-frequen

Teledyne Gavia Introduces ASW Training Target Module

payload module is capable of receiving and retransmitting sonar signals for training sonar operators. The STM consists of a flooded transducer compartment, an electronic compartment and a hydrophone that is towed behind the Gavia AUV. The STM is programmable to emulate different types of realistic submarine target characteristics including sizes and speeds for cost effective and reusable ASW training applications.When a Gavia vehicle is not utilizing the STM module, it can be configured for a variety of other applications including MCM, SAR and REA operations. STM modules are suitable for use with all

New ROV Tools for Deep Sea Mining Monitoring

Global environmental monitoring and sediment sampling experts Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) have augmented its offering of deep sea sampling equipment for remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) with a multiple water sample collection system with inbuilt water quality monitoring.OSIL’s range of ROV tools now not only includes the instrumented water sample collection system, but also an undisturbed sediment sampling system, an instrumented pressure activated camera system, and a deep sea solenoid actuator, which can be adapted to suit application requirements.The ROV tools are

New ASV Delivered for Post-hurricane Surveying

sidescan/bathy multibeam echo-sounder (MBES), R2 Sonic 2022 MBES, Applanix WaveMaster POS MV inertial navigation system (INS), a SeaRobotics’ cast winch and a castable AML BaseX² sound velocity probe (SVP). The two multibeam systems were chosen to provide exceptional data quality in multiple marine environments, aiding in the rapid assessment of navigation hazards. The lightweight SeaRobotics’ cast winch deploys the SVP used to generate corrective sound velocity profiles by the onboard data acquisition computer.“The rapid deployment and ease of assembly of the ASV, as well as the

AI Guides Rapid Data-Driven Exploration of Changing Underwater Habitats

A recent expedition led by Dr. Blair Thornton, holding Associate Professorships at both the University of Southampton and the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, demonstrated how the use of autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence at sea can dramatically accelerate the exploration and study of hard to reach deep sea ecosystems, like intermittently active methane seeps. Thanks to rapid high throughput data analysis at sea, it was possible to identify biological hotspots at the Hydrate Ridge Region off the coast of Oregon, quickly enough to survey and sample them

Studying Aliens of the Deep

to be used in space, which is similar to the deep ocean in that it’s a low-gravity, inhospitable environment that makes operating any device challenging.”Teoh and Phillips are currently working on a more rugged version of the RAD sampler for use in heavier-duty underwater tasks, like marine geology, while Gruber and Wood are focusing on further refining the sampler’s more delicate abilities. “We’d like to add cameras and sensors to the sampler so that, in the future, we can capture an animal, collect lots of data about it like its size, material properties, and even

New Application for a AZFP

New Application of Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler Used to Examine the Onset of Hypoxia Using Cyanobacteria as MarkerUrban freshwater environments are often being exposed to nutrient loading through groundwater movement and runoff of potent fertilizers. These nutrients impose imbalances that influence biological and chemical processes. The impacts are generally negative, causing onsets of algal blooms and widespread fluctuations in oxygen levels.Through an ongoing monitoring program, Rob Bowen of Diversified Scientific Solutions has been conducting surveys of dissolved oxygen, pH, oxidation-reduction

Kongsberg's Operational Advisory Solution for Harsh Environment Semi-Submersible

Odfjell Drilling has awarded Kongsberg Maritime the contract to deliver a real-time monitoring and advisory solution to provide operational safety and non-productive time (NPT) improvements for the 6th generation semi-submersible, Deepsea Stavanger. The contract is in specific relation to an upcoming offshore South Africa campaign awarded to Odfjell Drilling.Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated services and systems delivery for Deepsea Stavanger is designed to provide high operational safety and availability in deepwater harsh environments, strong currents and high waves. The scope of supply includes