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De Keukelaere Wins IADC "Young Author Award"

The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) bestowed the Young Author Award to Liesbeth De Keukelaere, R&D Professional at VITO in Belgium. IADC’s Young Author Award is given annually to “stimulate the promotion of new ideas and encourage younger men and women in the dredging industry”. The award is granted at industry-leading conferences, with a winning young author selected from the proceedings of the CEDA Dredging Days 2019, held on November 7-8, 2019, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.Ms De Keukelaere was selected as the Young Author Award winner for the co-authoring

MacArtney Supplies Time Saving Solution to MMT

MacArtney has recently supplied the latest in a series of seven customized NEXUS MK C ‘Super MUX’ multiplexers to MMT, providers of customized marine surveys for the offshore energy industry.Multiplexers, designed to simultaneously transmit data along a single channel of communication, provide operators with the opportunity to gather numerous types of data at once. The Swedish based, MMT working in close collaboration with Reach Subsea, ordered the customized NEXUS MK C connectivity solution (named the Super MUX by MMT) from MacArtney Underwater Technology earlier this year.MMT assists

Zeebrugge Port Deploy 5G Network

Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, will have its own private 5G network this year, disclosed the container, bulk cargo, new vehicles and passenger ferry terminal port in the municipality of Bruges.The port’s management will collaborate with Citymesh, which is the only operator to have a license for 5G networks in Flanders and Brussels."The private 5G network in the Port of Zeebrugge will be the accelerator for innovation in and around the port," the port said.The network’s brain is located in the port’s datacenter. This keeps all data safe within the port authority’s own

Higher Learning & SINTEF’s Existential Rise

include Japanese radios, stair designs, associate professors, rapid-prototyping machines and programming experts).Enriched by a public-private business model, SINTEF people can find themselves in the lab; supervising strategic research via email or chairing spin-off companies. They might help test marine batteries to speed their use, or be the lead researcher contact at a newly assembled and funded industrial cluster. They could be devolving knowledge of spectral cameras to other researchers or the workings of marine cybernetics to foster a new UAV industry or launch the first mini-satellites (like

Video: Robotic Surf Crawler

An amphibious crawling vehicle is designed to prevent people from having to work in the dangers of the surf zone and allow operations to continue in hours of darkness and in more inclement weather conditions.The Sea Ox and the smaller Sea Otter, both developed by C-2 Innovations, have a maximum depth of 100m and can operate autonomously or under remote control. The rugged Sea Ox, which recently survived 6ft surf and 2kn tidal stream in Californian user trials, has a wet range of 10NM, a dry range of 24NM and can conduct station keeping to collect longer term static environmental observations, or

#Oi2020 History

and 16 scientists and engineers from the Navy's Coastal Systems Station accompanying and operating the equipment when it arrives in Canada. The system consists of more than 54,000 lbs. of gear and requires two U.S. Air Force C-17s to carry it and its accompanying personnel to Halifax.  Marine Technology Reporter has been commissioned to publish the Official “Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition” which will distribute with the MARCH 2020 edition of MTR. For information on advertising in this edition, contact Rob Howard @ howard@marinelink.com, t: +1 561-732-4368

Forum’s XLe Spirit ROV Completes Sea Trials

Forum Subsea Technologies’ latest remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the XLe Spirit, has completed sea trials in Norway, the manufacturer announced on Wednesday.The vehicle is the first of a new generation of electric observation class ROVs. It is the smallest in the new range, and powerful enough to perform subsea maintenance and repair work. It is suited to the aquaculture market and capable of tasks such as net and tank inspection.Working with its Norwegian partner, Innova AS, Forum tested the XLe Spirit at a fjord with a 500-meter water depth. The standard equipment function testing was

NATO employs MUSCLE Memory to Find Mines

(MINEX).The center can also leverage its extensive modelling and simulation capabilities to evaluate the collaborative autonomous systems and concepts of operation in various and complex operating environments.About the AuthorEdward Lundquist is a retired U.S. Navy captain who write frequently for Marine Technology Reporter.  He travelled to La Spezia, Italy to report this story

New Handheld Control Pendant for ROV Navigation

Operators of SEAMOR Marine remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) will be excited about the newest release by the British Columbia-based company. Starting this fall, an all new Handheld Control Pendant will be available to pair with SEAMOR ROVs.The SEAMOR pendant is ergonomic, lightweight, easy to use, and more comfortable for pilots who are undertaking long jobs. SEAMOR Marine wanted to give users the option to step away from the console when needed while still being able to control the vehicle, particularly during launch and retrieval of the ROV, or when using an alternate display when navigating via

Sonardyne Equips Brazilian Research Vessel

Science equipment and underwater vehicles deployed from Brazil’s flagship oceanographic research vessel, Alpha Crucis, are to be tracked using Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) positioning technology supplied by Sonardyne Brasil Ltda.The 64-meter-long vessel, which is operated by the University of São Paulo, undertakes research projects spanning global climate change to biodiversity in Brazilian waters. It will be equipped with a Sonardyne Ranger 2 USBL high precision acoustic positioning system to enable the Alpha Crucis’ 21-strong science team to precisely track their instruments and

VLIZ Takes Delivery of a Gavia AUV

Teledyne Gavia announced that after an international tender it has completed the sale and recent sea acceptance testing of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Oostende, Belgium.The VLIZ Gavia is rated to 1,000m depth in a low logistics form factor and includes an array of scientific instruments to meet current and future VLIZ research requirements. The modular nature of the GAVIA AUV allows sensors to be added as mission requirements dictate. The VLIZ Gavia is configured for diverse research applications and includes an iXblue INS coupled with a Teledyne

MacArtney to Supply Swedish Research Vessel

After a successful Sea Acceptance Test in the North Sea, MacArtney has signed off on an integrated system solution for the new research vessel, the R/V Svea.Working with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) since 2009, MacArtney has provided a range of technology, from camera and light systems, to more recently, the co-design and upgrade of a Lobster Sledge with fiber optic multiplexer and interfaces.Now MacArtney has delivered a fully integrated scope of supply including the MacArtney TRIAXUS and FOCUS 2 ROTVs (Remote Operated Towed Vehicles) and a customized CTD (Conductivity

MOL Tests FOCUS EYE Project

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced the joint development, along with SenseTime Japan, of a new vessel image recognition and recording system, and the system’s installation for demonstration testing aboard the cruise ship "Nippon Maru" operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line.The system’s graphic recognition engine was developed by incorporating MOL’s knowledge and applying artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning technology, allowing it to recognize surrounding vessels.The system recognizes and automatically records vessels with high accuracy using a

Increased Confidence in CO2 Storage

confidence in this approach, a priority is to be able to deal quickly with any leak, should it occur: detect it, to measure its strength and duration, predict any effects it may have on the environment, and seal it if necessary.Previous laboratory and mesocosm-based research on the effects of CO2 on marine life has shown that it can change the pH of seawater and create localized ‘ocean acidification’ conditions, which appear to be detrimental to many types of benthic (seabed) life. A previous, shallow water experiment, the Quantifying and Monitoring Potential Ecosystem Impacts of Geological

Underwater Cameras Tackle Tough Questions for Fishery

seals sometimes compete for the same fish. And when they do, interactions between the animals and fishing nets can occur, leaving fishermen with ruined catches and damaged fishing gear, and seals with the possibility of lethal entanglements.To come up with new ways to prevent such interactions between marine animals and fisheries, ocean scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) are working with local fishermen on Cape Cod to understand exactly what happens when seals and other marine mammals invade a fishing net to forage.“Fishermen are

iXblue and 2G Robotics Ink MoU

Technology companies iXblue and 2G Robotics have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer a new survey skid for inspection class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV). This all-in-one integrated skid will deliver high accuracy inspection capabilities on small ROVs, enabling survey and inspection on low cost assets.Using 2G Robotics’ ULS-500 Micro laser scanner and OBSERVER still camera, and iXblue’s Rovins Nano Inertial Navigation System, this new skid will offer a miniaturized laser scanner and navigation package dedicated to small-sized ROVs and autonomous underwater

Rovco Nets $12.8 Mln in 12 Months

center allowing our customers to truly make the most of high accuracy machine learning analysis and live 3D point clouds of their subsea structures. This enables real time, data-driven, accurate decision making.”Investing in the development of real-time 3D systems and artificial intelligence for marine robotics, the company is able to deliver 3D and deep learning based solutions. By retrofitting smart cameras to any subsea vehicle Rovco effectively gives older or smaller ROVs or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) the ability to provide the highest quality data while connecting them to the cloud

ROBOATS: MIT's Shape-Shifting Autonomous Boats

New capabilities allow “roboats” to change configurations to form pop-up bridges, stages, and other structures.MIT’s fleet of robotic boats has been updated with new capabilities to “shapeshift,” by autonomously disconnecting and reassembling into a variety of configurations, to form floating structures in Amsterdam’s many canals.The autonomous boats — rectangular hulls equipped with sensors, thrusters, microcontrollers, GPS modules, cameras, and other hardware — are being developed as part of the ongoing “Roboat” project between MIT and the

MTR100: General Dynamics Mission Systems

General Dynamics Mission SystemsQuincy, Mass., President CEO: Chris BradyNo. of Employees: 13,400https://gdmissionsystems.com/en/underwater-vehicles/bluefin-roboticsGeneral Dynamics Mission Systems is an innovator of open architecture and mission integration to meet the most demanding operational requirements on any platform in the multi-domain operational arenas – from the outer reaches of space to the sea floor. In 2016 General Dynamics acquired the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) provider, Bluefin Robotics, to extend the integration of high consequence solutions to the unmanned undersea

First Manned Dive to the Titanic in 14 Years

;s surface to the Titanic's final resting place at the murky depths of the North Atlantic Ocean.The series of five dives over eight days aboard a high-tech Triton 36,000/2 manned submersible Limiting Factor were the first to carry humans to the historic wreck site in 14 years.Patrick Lahey, Triton Submarines president and Co-Founder, and pilot for three of the five dives, said, “The most fascinating aspect was seeing how the Titanic is being consumed by the ocean and returning to its elemental form while providing refuge for a remarkably diverse number of animals.”Lying in the very deep

MTR100: Teledyne Marine

With 23 brands, and more than 400 marine products in its portfolio, Teledyne Marine collectively offers the largest breadth of technology in the industry.  From tiny connectors to 6000m rated AUVs – and virtually everything in between – Teledyne is well positioned to solve subsea’s biggest challenges.  Whether customers seek a single product, or a complex turnkey solution, Teledyne Marine has the vision and capability to deliver leading-edge technology to commercial, academic, and defense customers around the globe.As the organization continues to grow and mature, and

MTR100: Five "Ones to Watch"

For Marine Technology Reporter's (MTR) 14th Annual "MTR100" - a look at 100 innovators and technologies in the subsea space - MTR editor-at-large Elaine Maslin reports on five companies and technologies that are worth the watch for the remainder of 2019 and beyond. For the full edition, see https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/Blue Logic: Entering a new eraCompletely new modes of operation are entering the underwater domain for oil and gas operations and the tools that are being used could also be used across the ocean space.It’s been called a

Saab Seaeye's Falcon for Ocean Research

Scale Nodes (CGSN) which include sensor arrays moored off the coast of Massachusetts, Alaska, and Greenland, operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,The Endurance Array (EA) off the coast of Oregon and Washington, operated by Oregon State University,The Regional Cabled Array (RCA), a submarine cable network of sensors and instruments, operated and managed by the University of Washington,As well as the Cyber infrastructure, managed by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.After deploying a third party ROV for several years it was concluded that a dedicated underwater robotic vehicle

#Oi2020 History

, pilots “flying” the ROV (while sitting in E/V Nautilus control room) can then aim the video cameras toward Hercules and other areas of interest. Measuring 11 feet long and 4 feet high, and weighing 4,000 pounds, Argus (when working individually) can dive to depths of to 3.7 miles. Marine Technology Reporter has been commissioned to publish the Official “Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition” which will distribute with the MARCH 2020 edition of MTR. For information on advertising in this edition, contact Rob Howard @ howard@marinelink.com, t: +1 561-732-4368

AML MVP to Augment NSCC’s Seafloor Mapping

spatial coverage. Development of a method that would increase both efficiency and data density of seafloor imaging data through integration of these technologies into the MVP would benefit a wide range of ocean sector industries, such as offshore oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, subsea cable routes, marine conservation and spatial planning.NSCC’s MVP200 will be built down the road from their waterfront campus in Canadian manufacturer AML Oceanographic’s Atlantic office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The solution is expected to be supplied in fall 2019 and includes the MVP200, CTD instrumentation

SharkCam Reveals Secrets of UK Basking Sharks

. “We’re able to remove the ocean’s opaque layer and dive into places never before possible with this groundbreaking technology, answering questions about key species and revealing new ones.”Fieldwork for the project took place in July in the proposed Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area (MPA) – one of four possible MPAs currently under consultation by the Scottish Government. MPAs are specially designated and managed to protect marine ecosystems, habitats and species, which can help restore the area for people and wildlife.The area is one of only a few worldwide

3D Models of Newly Discovered US WWII Sub

Aberdeen-based subsea 3D scanning specialists, Viewport3, have been collaborating with an eminent international explorer, Tim Taylor to process pioneering underwater 3D scans on the bow and stern of a US submarine which was lost in 1942.Viewport3 were contracted by Tim Taylor, CEO of New-York based Tiburon Subsea Services and founder of Ocean Outreach Inc, as part of his ongoing “Lost 52 Project”, which he states, “honors the men, their memory and their mission”. The project is responsible for discovery and mapping of 4 out of 8 of the US WWII submarines located to date.The

DOE Introduces Phantom X8 ROV

US-based Deep Ocean Engineering (DOE) has unveiled a new electric, light work-class remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), the Phantom X8, designed for deep sea exploration and light intervention work.The vehicle is the largest and most heavy-duty ROV manufactured by DOE and packs a robust design for deep sea maneuverability and power. Configured with six vectored horizontal and two vertical 2.2 kW Tecnadyne brushless thrusters, the Phantom X8 has complete control and authority in any given direction, even in the toughest currents.For clarity underwater, the Phantom X8 boasts high definition

​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