Saipem Testing Hydrone-R Resident Vehicle
Italian services firm Saipem said it has started functional testing on its Hydrone-R underwater resident vehicle at Sonsub facilities in Venice.The advanced underwater intervention drone is being launched in water for a comprehensive qualification campaign that aims to test all components and subsystems, including the subsea docking base in a real subsea scenario, Saipem said.It was announced that endurance and qualification tests will be carried over several months in open sea, offshore Trieste in a "playground" that has been set up to serve the entire Hydrone Program.Hydrone-R, which can
Imenco Buys Proserv's Nautronix Unit
Controls technology company Proserv said it has sold its through-water digital acoustic communications and positioning systems business, Nautronix, to Imenco, a Norwegian supplier of subsea electronic and mechanical products.The divested unit will become a division within Imenco, which will continue to be known as Imenco UK Ltd. The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.“Nautronix has enjoyed almost four years within the Proserv portfolio but this opportunity to link up with Imenco is an exciting one and we look forward to developing our business within Geir’s wider team,” said
US Navy Sub Discovery Validated
The U.S. Navy recently validated the identity of a submarine shipwreck that was discovered in 2017 after being missing for nearly 75 years. Utilizing advanced imaging technology, Ocean Explorer Tim Taylor and his "Lost 52 Expedition Team" officially discovered the final resting place for the 49 Sailors of the long-lost U.S. submarine S-28 (SS-133) in ultra deep water off Oahu, Hawaii. July 4, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the loss of the submarine, which was conducting exercises at the time she disappeared."The discovery of the USS S-28 as part of my 'Lost 52 Project
Hydrex Earns Belgium, Netherlands Approvals
in both countries.The traditional approach in the propeller maintenance industry is to polish the blades with a grinding disk which can be quite damaging to the propeller. By the very fact of using a grinding disk, a substantial amount of metal is removed from the blades. This makes polishing a source of marine pollution which is a problem in ports.It is for this reason that a large number of ports, including those in Belgium and the Netherlands, have banned the underwater cleaning on propeller blades. Exceptions are only made for those companies that can pass the very stringent tests carried out by the
BIRNS Celebrates 65 Years
were introduced in the 1950s. Fast forward to today, and depth ratings for subsea systems have exponentially changed, and connectivity solutions for today's subsea systems are extremely advanced and complex.BIRNS was born in Los Angeles and quickly became known for contributing key technology to the marine and nuclear industries. Early marine market contributions included building specialty lights for the Sea Lab projects and illuminating the excavation of the Titanic.Throughout its 65-year history, the company has helped advance technology in these markets, and its products have allowed faster communicatio
Seaspace Race Underway at Saab Subsea Docking Demo
A subsea space race is now officially underway in the offshore oil and gas industry following successful trials of docking and inspection operations using a commercially available underwater vehicle and Norwegian energy firm Equinor’s open-standard subsea docking station (SDS).The trials, witnessed by a crowd of leading players in the subsea resident remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and hybrid space, were carried out in Lake Vattern, at Motala, Sweden on Tuesday.The SDS, the second built for Equinor, was transported to Saab Dynamic’s Sweden facility
Saab Seaeye eRobotics Campaign Wins UTC Award
A project that achieved a world first in subsea vehicle deepwater residency capability, proving the potential for marine autonomous systems to take a greater role in underwater inspection, repair and maintenance methodologies, is the winner of the annual UTC Subsea Award.The UTC Subsea Award, presented by the Underwater Technology Foundation (UTF), is designed to recognize the many outstanding achievements within the subsea industry. The 2019 award was presented to Saab Seaeye’s Jan Siesjö, Chief Engineer, and Peter Erkers, sales director, for the Saab eRobotic Spring Campaign 2019, tonight
Robotics: The Next Gen in Subsea Vehicles
find their way to pre-programmed locations.At energy:connected, as the Oslo-based Subsea Valley cluster and annual conference is now called, some of these concepts were outlined, including those from two Norwegian technology firms and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp, a firm more used to designing naval submarine systems. uSEA unveils uLARSOne, Norwegian technology start-up uSEA, is proposing a hybrid system to disrupt existing manned vessel supported subsea operations via a subsea and surface drone combination.uSEA was founded in 2017 and since then it has been developing a surface drone, or unmanned
Subsea UK: Exploring Underwater Robotics
the potential which exists for advances in underwater robotics.The call for speakers is now open for the annual conference which will take place on Wednesday, September 18, at the Chester Hotel, Aberdeen.Abstracts are being sought across the following topics: latest developments in underwater vehicles, marine robotics and autonomous operations, survey and measurement, and inspection technology and operational developments. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “In recent years the UK robotics sector has seen substaintal growth, with the UK Government announcing a $22 million investment
Kraken Sets Up Unmanned Vehicles Facility
Inc. said it has established a new facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to field test and support its range of underwater robotic platforms and technologies.The new 4,000-square-foot Unmanned Maritime Vehicles Facility (UMVF) is located at the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), a marine technologies innovation hub.Kraken said its Handling Systems Group has already moved into the new location and will continue to build the firm’s Tentacle Winch and Autonomous Launch and Recovery Systems there. The facility will also be used to field test and support Kraken’s various underwater
BAE Systems Acquires Riptide
BAE Systems, Inc. has announced the purchase of the key assets of Riptide Autonomous Solutions, a Plymouth, Mass.-based provider of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology and solutions.Specializing in small UUVs, Riptide’s platforms are deigned to be sophisticated yet simple, efficient and highly flexible, offering performance discriminators within this domain that include greater depth, range, endurance and speed.“Adding Riptide's technological capabilities will position us to provide customers unmatched flexibility by offeringa family of UUVs and integrated payload solutionscapab
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Winner Annouced
The GEBCO NF- Alumni Team was announced as the $4 million grand prize winner of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a three-year global competition that challenged teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous and unmanned, fast and high-resolution ocean exploration. The team's winning concept includes the use of a unique unmanned surface vessel (USV) / autonomous underwater vessel (AUV) and associated combination of communications hardware and software to process and transmit data remotely. The SEA-KIT USV, Maxlimer, built by Hushcraft in the UK, has a unique ability to launch and
Navy: $2.3B Deal for 12 Mine Hunting Ships
The Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium, composed of Naval Group and ECA Group, won the contract to supply 12 minehunting vessels to the Belgian and Dutch navies. Equipped with around 100 drones, constituting approximately 10 drone systems (toolboxes), six ships are destined for the Belgian Navy, while the other six will be delivered to the Dutch Navy.The 10-year contract is worth nearly $2.3B. After a three-year design phase, Belgium Naval & Robotics will launch the production phase of the ships and drone systems with a first delivery expected in 2024.The Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium
DOLPHIN: Enabling Technology for Acoustic Systems
by the other sidescan (B or A) to improve the resolution in the area that both sides overlap. In addition to the obvious benefit of improved coverage, DOLPHIN processing can provide other advantages to sonar systems including increased resolution and adaptability to environmental concerns such as marine mammal safety.Figure 4: Typical Side-scan displays a gap in coverage. Image: QinetiQ North AmericaLab and Field TestingDOLPHIN Comms and Sonar proof-of-concept (POC) demonstrations have been successfully completed. In tank and harbor trials, previously reported upon, DOLPHIN Comms delivered successful
Sonardyne Acquires EIVA
survey organisations and is increasingly supporting customers with their requirements for higher levels of automation and remote and unmanned operations through its NaviSuite software. The company employs more than 75 people with headquarters in Denmark.Sonardyne and EIVA share a common goal of improving marine operation efficiency, enabling further automation, using embedded intelligence and remote operability.“EIVA and Sonardyne share many of the same corporate values including long-term commitment and focus towards customers, partners and employees,” said Sonardyne Managing Director John
Partners Set Out to Cut Offshore Emissions
operational complexity with objective measurement, ultimately enabling optimal utilization and more sustainable fleet management.The multi-year project is backed with Innovation Norway’s largest funded offshore vessel, environmental technology project in 2018. It aims to be a gamechanger in how marine operational decisions are supported by providing more accurate, timely and easily consumable information to decision makers; from the vessel’s chief engineer to the chief operation officer based shore-side.“The partnership is focused on building a platform for intelligent efficiency,
Tech Talk: GeoSpectrum Acoustic Solutions
tech tour through eastern Canada.Dartmouth, Nova Scotia based acoustics specialist company GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc, a producer of underwater acoustic transducers and systems, has been in operation for more than 20 years, supplying hydrophones and sound projectors to a range of customers in the marine and oceanography sectors, as well as providing consultancy services on acoustic systems integration and test procedures. End-user sectors include defense and homeland security, oil & gas, and environmental services. As well as standard products, GeoSpectrum can also provide customized products
Unheard Underwater: Covert Communications
it knows where to find us in the first place. Even when operating closer to the surface, the limited range of the BlueComm 200 UV, when seen from space, is very much like a needle in a haystack. This means we can now communicate subsea and remain covert. This is great news for a new generation of submariners and new unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) concepts.Unmanned vehicles as a force multiplier for submarines are not a new idea. In 1997, the National Research Council published Volume 6 of the “Technology for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, 2000-2035”. In this document, the authors
WFS Launches Subsea Wireless Edge Network
WFS Technologies Limited (WFS) unveiled what it claims is the world’s first subsea wireless edge network for real-time monitoring of subsea assets.ExtremeEdge was developed to process and analyze the raw data at the sensor level, thus reducing information overheads by transmitting only the data needed to downstream solutions in real-time rather than all sensor data collected.In addition, by deploying a number of ExtremeEdge-enabled sensors, WFS has created the first subsea network designed to operate wirelessly. Traditionally, most solutions operate by individual sensor only, and not as a
WHOI Names Murray Deputy Director & VP for Research
(WHOI) announced that Dr. Richard W. Murray has accepted the position of the Deputy Director & Vice President for Research of the institution. He will assume the office on September 1, 2019.A geochemist whose research focuses on interpreting chemical records of climate change and volcanism in marine sediments, Murray joins WHOI from Boston University, where he has been since 1992 and is currently a professor of Earth and Environment. Murray was director of the Division of Ocean Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2015-2018. In addition to his regular duties at NSF, he also
OSIL Buoy for Coastal Erosion Project
Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) have supplied a 1.2m data buoy platform to the “ORION” joint research and development center for use as a real-time monitoring station on an EU-funded project managing coastal erosion.The Harmonized Coastal Corrosion Management Framework for Enhancing the Implementation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol (HERMES) project required a platform with the ability to record a full profile of water column currents, tidal variations, wave parameters (significant wave height, wave period & propagation direction) & estimated suspended
Case Study: Cables in Underwater Missions
more than 600 ocean research deployments. It safely holds the weight of 500 kilograms of equipment, including a carousel of 24 12-liter sample bottles. As it is lowered through the water column to depths of 7,000 meters, it endures factors including cold temperatures, bending, tension cycling, corrosion, marine abrasion, compression and even attack by sea-life. It must flex and bend to deal with winching, marine currents, and pressures exceeding 550 bar (55,000 kPa).Each cable provides the physical connection for real-time power and communication connectivity. Designs have to be rigorous, and manufacturing
Support Vessel Delivered to Oceaneering
Oceaneering International announced Monday that it has taken delivery of a newbuild subsea construction support vessel, Ocean Evolution, built by BAE Systems in the US.The US-flagged, Jones Act-compliant multi-service vessel (MSV) has completed sea trials and received all necessary ABS and U.S. Coast Guard certifications and is currently in Port Fourchon, La., completing final outfitting and preparing for project work scheduled to begin in June.Oceaneering said the vessel is designed to serve deepwater stimulation and intervention needs with its well stimulation and well intervention design, ABS Well
Export Licensing: Tips U.S. Exporters Shouldn’t Overlook
responsible for export licensing and controls. BIS export licenses may be required for items (commodities, software, or technology) with proliferation, military, or terrorist uses, or which warrant control for other reasons. Export licensing requirements can apply to a wide array of products, including marine technologies. A license may also be required because of the end use or end user. Items not licensed by BIS may still require a license from other agencies, including the State Department for defense articles and services subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations which are listed
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
OceanGate Names Shuman COO
Manned submersible services provider OceanGate said it has named Robert Shuman as Chief Operating Officer effective immediately.As COO, Shuman is responsible for ensuring operational excellence and positioning the company for future growth. He is tasked with overseeing strategic prioritization, resource alignment, and accountability across the company.Shuman brings with him over 15 years of senior level management in business development, project management and operations. His previous experience has been in satellite communications, cloud-based products, smart antennas, online education, and VoIP
Unique Group Debuts New Survey USV
Unique Group, a provider of services and solutions for the offshore, subsea and life support industries, has designed and developed its first Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) called Uni-Cat.With proven hydrographic survey capabilities, the Uni-Cat can be used effectively for bathymetry survey offshore and in shallow waters, claimed a press release from the integrated subsea and offshore solution provider."It is ideal to be used in locations where conventional survey methods are not feasible," the release said.The Uni-Cat USV is purpose built with a long-lasting battery and the endurance
EvoLogics Presents 'Tiny' Modems
EvoLogics has introduced the latest addition to its range of underwater acoustic modems, the new generation S2C T modems, at Ocean Business 2019 in Southampton, UK.Dubbed “tiny”, this light and ultra-compact design represents a size reduction of almost 20% compared to EvoLogics M-series mini-modems at only 25 cm standard height and 1200 g weight, the manufacturer said.The S2C T series form factor will be available for EvoLogics’ high frequency models, catering to modern size- and weight-sensitive applications with four frequency range/directivity options.The new model features a
OPT, Acteon Exploring Joint Opportunites
US based ocean energy solutions company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) and UK based subsea services and solutions company Acteon Field Life Service, an Acteon Group subsidiary, have entered into a nonexclusive memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop, explore and exploit mutual opportunities in the global oil and gas and renewables markets, the companies announced on Thursday.“We see a strong potential in this collaboration, where OPT’s PowerBuoy products and services and Acteon’s integrated subsea services and solutions, coupled with its global network of facilities, personnel
OPT Scores Oil and Gas Study Contract
US based ocean energy solutions company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) said it has signed a contract with an unnamed oil and gas exploration and production company to complete a 12-week paid feasibility study that will examine the use of OPT’s products and services in monitoring subsea wells during decommissioning activities.“This study will evaluate the use of our PowerBuoys in monitoring multiple customer wells during oil field decommissioning activities in the very deep and challenging waters of the Gulf of Mexico,” said George H. Kirby, President and Chief Executive Officer of
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
Researchers to Monitor Disruptive US Gulf Current
A major $2 million scientific study led by the University of Rhode Island (URI)’s Graduate School of Oceanography will monitor disruptive ocean currents in the US Gulf of Mexico, with a long term goal to improve forecasts for safer offshore operations in the region.The Loop Current System (LCS) is the dominant ocean circulation feature in the Gulf of Mexico, influencing all ocean processes in the Gulf with implications for a wide range of human and natural activities, from oil exploration to coastal eco-systems. To date, knowledge of its underlying dynamics is limited.URI’s initial study
Autonomy Advances: New Vessel Range
with Mini-Ranger 2, will be able to operate as a gateway for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) operations, enabling tracking and communications with up to 10 AUVs at the same time.“Combining these capabilities means customers have access to vessels that can perform more remote and autonomous marine operations; including tracking multiple AUVs and real-time data harvesting in hard to access environments across defense, offshore and ocean science sectors,” said Ioseba Tena, Global Business Manager – Marine Robotic Systems, Sonardyne
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
DGA Taps iXblue for AUV Positioning & Monitoring
The French General Directorate of Armament for Technical Naval Applications (DGA Technique Navales – DGA/TN, formerly GESMA), an entity specialized in experimentation in the area of mine warfare, has selected iXblue's Gaps acoustic positioning system for its autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) positioning and monitoring applications."The choice of Gaps by the DGA/TN, which is the reference in France in the area of mine warfare, is a clear mark of the confidence placed in our underwater positioning technology," said Hubert Pelletier, Head of the Acoustics Division of iXblue. "Thi
OPT Inks Deal with US Operator
to achieve significant health, safety and environmental milestones and implement additional policies and procedures.“This contract signifies a major investment of time and resources by our customer and OPT, which further demonstrates the demand for our solutions and our credibility as experts in marine power and communications,” Kirby said
Current Profiling & China’s Maritime Infrastructure Drive
China’s recent wave of infrastructure renewal has included a large portfolio of developments, such as ports and other developments, that have a subsea component. Accurate, efficient and cost-effective current profiling is vital in the successful implementation of major maritime projects.Nortek has been able to play a role in this side of China’s economic revolution, through its collaboration with a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), a Fortune 500 listed firm that has been at the forefront of the infrastructure drive.CCCC & NortekCCCC’s hydrological
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
Real-time ECDIS Updates via FleetBroadband
A contract signed in London at the end of last month by Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT formalizes arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.The SRH Delta platform, which includes chart updates, publications and notices of mariners, will be available for L-band transmission to any FleetBroadband user equipped with the new, dedicated bandwidth Application Access Point Name (APN) developed by Inmarsat.“The SRH platform is the first application by
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
Leak Detection Sonar Deployed in the US Gulf
A sonar monitoring system will help a major US oil company to reinforce its deepwater offshore asset integrity assurance in the US Gulf of Mexico.The system, a wide-area Sentry Integrity Monitoring Sonar (IMS) developed and delivered by subsea engineering specialist Sonardyne International, has been deployed on the seafloor at more than 2,000 meters water depth. The ROV-deployable Sentry IMS, which features a titanium housing and can be installed short-term or permanently, is able to detect, classify and localize subsea releases of hydrocarbons from either the seafloor or oil and gas field
R/V Bob and Betty Beyster: New CAT For Scripps
The Research Vessel Bob and Betty Beyster is a purpose-built coastal research vessel designed for efficient operations offshore Southern California and throughout the Channel Islands. Based at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility and operated as a shared-use facility, Bob and Betty Beyster provides scientists, students and engineers a capable, safe and economical platform for research and teaching.R/V Bob and Betty Beyster is a 42-foot scientific workboat with a range of 500 nautical miles, a cruising speed better than 25 knots, and a capacity for six scientists and a boat operator. The vessel has
Zenitel: Expanding in Maritime, Offshore
We recently met up with Kenneth Dastol, CEO & President, Zenitel Group, who provided some exclusive insight and analysis on the dynamic world of mobile communication trends in the maritime sector.Please give an overview of Zenitel Group today.The Zenitel Group is the leader of intelligent communication systems. We are located in 18 countries around the world with more than 300 employees after the acquisition of Phontech. Approximately half of the staff is working out of Norway, the rest is spread out with about 30 employees in U.S., 25 in Singapore, 25 in France 25 in Croatia and the remaining
Enhanced Seismic Monitoring at Johan Sverdrup
through the water column from the seabed to the sea surface as well as the pressure (depth) at the seabed. This data is then used to calculate a continuous time history of average water velocity and tidal variation throughout the whole water column.While PIES instruments are already very widely used in marine seismic survey operations, this will be only the second time where PIES units are hardwired into topside power and communication infrastructure, which means Equinor will have instant and continuous access to its data. Conventionally, PIES data is collected acoustically by a passing surface vessel
Oi: Tracking 50 Years of Ocean Innovation
As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially, to the
Subsea: The Future of Unmanned Vehicles
these systems. Second, we need to get more value from our human operators.”Kinnaman has a unique perspective as Greensea Systems Inc., which he founded in 2006, is a leader in navigation and vehicle control technology and is the creator of OPENSEA, an open architecture software framework for marine robotics across various vehicle sectors. “We develop software and hardware that revolutionizes the working relationship between people and machines both on and under the surface of the ocean,” said Kinnaman, who, like many in the sector “started working with vehicles as an
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
Partners Designing Autonomous Seismic Nodes
Underwater sensor technology company Sonardyne International said it is partnering with Shell Brasil and Brazilian research institute Senai-Cimatec to develop autonomous technology to make the monitoring of Brazil’s deepwater pre-salt oil fields more efficient.The new 4D seismic monitoring system, based on so-called On Demand Ocean Bottom Nodes, is being developed under a National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) promoted program.According to Sonardyne, the goal is to increase the autonomy of ocean bottom nodes and enable them to be deployed and remain on the seafloor for up
EOM Offshores Becomes SBIR Award Recipient
On February 5, 2019, EOM Offshore, LLC became a SBIR Phase I award recipient under SBIR Topic N-183-141 entitled “Technology Development of Fiber Optic Moorings for Surface Communication Buoys.”This is an exciting opportunity for EOM Offshore which plans to use its patented mooring technology to design a new lightweight, fiber optic Stretch EM Cable that will be used to tether communication gateway buoys. To date, there is not a mooring cable on the market that can strain as the communication gateway buoy moves on the surface in wave action without the fiber optics becoming damaged
CWind Digitizes with CrewSmart
CWind, part of the Global Marine Group (GMG), a provider of topside, splash zone and subsea engineering services to the offshore renewables and utilities market, it has implemented CrewSmart’s management support service across its fleet of 21 crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and team of offshore wind technicians. The cloud-based CrewSmart system provides CWind with control over personnel and fleet administration, optimizing the overall efficiency of the operations team.In a rapidly expanding offshore wind market, as new projects come online globally, vessel demand has spiked, CrewSmart said, with
OPT and Saab Seaeye Partner
Ocean energy solutions provider Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. electric underwater robotic systems manufacturer Saab Seaeye Ltd, have entered a nonexclusive agreement to jointly develop and market solutions for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) charging and communications systems.“We see a strong potential in this cooperation, where Saab Seaeye’s market-leading underwater solutions become even more capable by the addition of OPT charging solutions for resident vehicle systems,” said Matt Bates, Head of Marketing & Sales at Saab
Rebuilding Confidence in Reactivated DP Assets
and efficiently as it did before lay-up. Image Courtesy Bureau Veritas.In anticipation of these demands, MAC and Bureau Veritas have been active in the development of guidance and recommended practices to verify that reactivation has been addressed properly. MAC has been directly involved with The Marine Technology Society in developing The DP Asset Reactivation Guidance and has supported Bureau Veritas in the development of Guidance Note NI 649 DT R00 E, Guidance for the Lay-Up and Reactivation of DP Vessels.Both guidance documents are designed to support the efficient return of DP assets to service
Ørsted Collaborates with US Fishing Coalition on Offshore Wind
Global developer of offshore wind farms Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind has entered into a partnership agreement with Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) to improve communications between the seafood industry and offshore wind energy developers.“This first-of-its-kind partnership will create an unprecedented opportunity for commercial fishermen to provide direct input to the wind energy industry on matters of significant interest to their businesses,” according to the statement issued in Boston by the RODA, originally organized by scallop fishermen and others to protect their
EdgeTech Delivers ERB for Deewater Acoustic Release Mooring Recovery
EdgeTech, a provider of high resolution sonar imaging systems, acoustic release systems and underwater technology, said it recently delivered an innovative solution for deepwater acoustic release mooring recovery.The Emergency Recovery Beacon (ERB) is a self-contained, programable acoustic command transmitter and transponder in a 6,000 meter rated nickel aluminium bronze alloy housing that can be lowered from the side of a vessel below any surface noise, shipboard noise or thermoclines.The ERB is programmed through a serial port using a computer running a terminal program and can transmit EdgeTech LF
IUEM Chooses iXblue Equipment
Navigation, positioning and underwater imaging solutions provider iXblue said it has been chosen by the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM) to provide 8 Canopus long baseline (LBL) transponders for a geodetic mission off the coast of Sicily. Deployed on the seabed, 2,500 meters below the surface, the Canopus transponders will measure the crustal deformation along the North-South Alfeo faults with a millimeter-scale resolution over the course of four years.Hubert Pelletier, Head of iXblue Acoustic division, said, “Because the Canopus transponders precisely meet the exacting requirements
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
Equinor and Vissim Partner
.When delivered, the Equinor system will give operators an almost complete overview of the ocean space, Vissim said. Vessel and helicopter movements integrated with weather forecast, oil spill surveillance and integrated radio communication will enable Equinor to provide surveillance services and maximize marine operational performance and logistics.(Image: Vissim
Eni Deploys OPT's PowerBuoy
Ocean Power Technologies' PowerBuoy has been deployed in the Adriatic Sea to advance Eni’s R&D MaREnergy project that aims to develop, deploy and demonstrate wave energy renewable technologies in oil and gas operations, the U.S.-based ocean energy solutions provider announced Wednesday.The OPT PowerBuoy will be used in the Adriatic Sea to advance Eni’s research and development of proprietary integrated subsea technology systems to allow future applications for remotely controlled field developments powered by wave energy, environmental monitoring and offshore asset inspection using
