Fugro Inspecting Cygnus Subsea Structures
Dutch offshore geo-data specialist Fugro will deploy remote monitoring technology to survey subsea structures at the Cygnus gas field in the UK’s southern North Sea.Under the contract awarded by oil and gas company Neptune Energy, Fugro will inspect subsea infrastructure including pipelines and umbilicals, spools and communication cables, and carry out standard structural surveys of the Neptune-operated Cygnus gas platform jackets.The giant gas development was brought online in late 2016 and consists of four platforms. Neptune operates Cygnus with 38.75% stake, with Spirit Energy owning 61.25%.
Poland's Ministry of Defense Orders Gavia AUVs
Teledyne Marine – Vehicles announced the Ministry of Defense of Poland has procured, through Remontowa Shipbuilding two additional Gavia autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for its second and third Kormoran Class new MCMV. The anticipated delivery of two systems will be added to the current Gavia AUV fleet, which has been operated by the Polish Navy for Naval Mine CounterMeasures (NMCM).To complement the Gavia AUVs previously procured, the acquisition will include all required topside equipment, as well as the AUV operation and maintenance training.In 2014, Teledyne Gavia completed a competitive
Scripps Institution of Oceanography: 3D-printed Coral Are Natural Producers of Biofuels
Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, alongside the University of Cambridge, UK, have 3D printed coral-like structures capable of growing dense microscopic algae populations. The work is aimed at the development of compact, efficient bioreactors for producing algae-based biofuels and could lead to a better understanding of the coral-algae relationship, with the hopes of establishing techniques to repair and restore reefs.Author Daniel Wangpraseurt, whose work was published April 9, 2020 in Nature Communications, explained, “Cor
Ocean Power Technologies Launches Hybrid PowerBuoy
environments, including near-shore and inland bodies of water."The hybrid PowerBuoy can be utilized across many industries and applications, including emergency and short-term power and communications support for maintenance, testing and repair services. It can be configured with OPT’s marine surveillance solution for security monitoring of offshore areas. Customized solutions are also available, including the addition of subsea sensors to monitor for acoustic signatures, tsunami, and other environmental conditions," OPT said.Data from the hybrid PowerBuoy is transmitted to
Fast-moving Waterfalls in the Deep Sea
New research led by the National Oceanography Center (NOC) has discovered how fast-moving waterfalls under the sea control the shape and behavior of submarine channels. These underwater channels are the offshore equivalents of rivers, but can be much larger. Submarine channels can extend for tens to thousands of kilometers offshore, providing an important conduit for the transfer of sediment, nutrients and pollutants, such as microplastics, to the deep-sea. Avalanches of sediment that flow down these channels also pose a hazard to networks of seafloor cables that underpin global communications,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography: 3D-printed Coral Are Natural Producers of Biofuels
Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, alongside the University of Cambridge, UK, have 3D printed coral-like structures capable of growing dense microscopic algae populations. The work is aimed at the development of compact, efficient bioreactors for producing algae-based biofuels and could lead to a better understanding of the coral-algae relationship, with the hopes of establishing techniques to repair and restore reefs.Author Daniel Wangpraseurt, whose work was published April 9, 2020 in Nature Communications, explained, “Cor
Autonomous ANTX: Seismic Survey Tech and Port Security
Geophysical seismic surveys and port security may appear to have little in-common. However, it turns out that managing complex marine seismic operations, where 10km-long seismic streamers have to be deployed harmoniously alongside other offshore marine assets, isn’t that dissimilar to managing – and protecting – port facilities.It's an area that ION Geophysical, more known for seismic data acquisition technology, has recently been proving its expertise in, using its Marlin system for marine operations management. Dave Gentle, Vice President of Business Development, spoke about
Iver3 AUV Upgrades Ordered for the Royal Navy
L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) received an order to upgrade three Iver3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) to be used in support of the Royal Navy’s Project Wilton. L3Harris will upgrade the Iver3 vehicles with the capability to integrate high accuracy navigation sensors and advanced communications for surface tracking, with collaborative autonomy architecture and automatic target recognition. The Royal Navy will use the upgraded Iver vehicles during unmanned mine hunting and other missions.The Project Wilton program will provide a portable route survey capability using a suite of
Austrlia DST Chooses Sonardyne's BlueComm
Australia’s Defense Science and Technology Group (DST) has acquired a BlueComm undersea communications system from Sonardyne International Ltd. as part of its ongoing program in maritime autonomous systems (MAS).BlueComm is the only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology that enables wireless transmission of high bandwidth tactical data, including video, over ranges of a few tens or even hundreds of meters, at rates of up to 10 megabits per second.With it, forces can vastly increase the communications capability of their underwater systems to drive faster, safer and better-informed decision
Kongsberg's LARS for Ocean Infinity's Armada Robotic Ships
designed to handle remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned vessels.The contract has been signed with Ocean Infinity, who will install the system on their Armada fleet of robotic ships.To remind, US-based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a new marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Armada, with a focus on combining technology and environmental sustainability, will initially add 15 bespoke designed marine robots to Ocean Infinity’s current fleet of autonomous underwater
GeoSpectrum wins deal for Underwater Acoustic Comms System
following the recent delivery of LRAM equipment to the Canadian Government. The LRAM system is a through-water acoustic communications system optimized for robust operation over long range. It is designed to send acoustically encoded tactical messages from a user-controlled station to a submerged submarine or other underwater asset. Two-way communication can also be provided. The LRAM system provides the capability to covertly communicate with a submarine on an as-needed basis without requiring the submarine to be at periscopic depth. Such communication can be vital for tactical comms with the
Tech Talk: Algorithm Aims to Assist Ocean Search and Rescue
Search & Rescue algorithm identify hidden “traps” in ocean waters, helping to more quickly identify regions where objects — and missing people — may have converged.The ocean is a messy and turbulent space, where winds and weather kick up waves in all directions. When an object or person goes missing at sea, the complex, constantly changing conditions of the ocean can confound and delay critical search-and-rescue operations.Now researchers at MIT, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and Virginia Tech have developed
Sonardyne Tests Autonomous Vehicles Navigation for UK MOD
Marine robotics company Sonardyne International Ltd. demonstrated technologies that will aid autonomous vehicle operations in challenging environments under a project funded by the UK’s national Defense and Security Accelerator (DASA).Working with a 12-meter-long SEA-KIT X class unmanned surface vehicle (USV), Sonardyne tested and validated sensors already used by unmanned underwater vehicles for use on USVs in support of missions in coastal watersSpecifically, Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav hybrid inertial navigation instrument was integrated into a SEA-KIT X and tested against local real-time
One-on-One with Duane Fotheringham, President, Unmanned Systems, HII
to Boeing on the Orca program, which broadens our portfolio and allows us to offer the full range of UUVs, from small class to extra large class.”HII is not simply a larger corporate entity, but one with a treasure trove of experience serving the U.S. Navy with both surface craft and nuclear submarines. “We are also able to leverage HII’s expertise in submarine and ship design to provide increased capability in platform integration,” said Fotheringham.With the move under the HII banner the Hydroid brand is transitioning into Huntington Ingalls Industries. According to Fotheringham
BAE Reflects One Year after Takeover of Riptide
One year ago, the FAST Labs R&D arm of BAE Systems announced the acquisition of Riptide Autonomous Solutions, with the goal to pair Riptide’s unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) with BAE's mission system capabilities in autonomy, navigation, communications, sensor processing and electronic warfare, among others. The Riptide family of UUVs includes three offerings: the 4.875” diameter (25 lbs.) micro, the 7.5" diameter (65 to 120 lbs.) 1MP (man-portable) unit and the 9" (9.375”) diameter (120 to 240 lbs.) 2MP. The family of unmanned vehicles are designed to
HydroWing, Tocardo Working on Tidal-Energy-to-Hydrogen Project
, Managing Director, HydroWing Limited: "This project has shifted our focus to a broader and exciting market where we can make use of our tides to provide a more versatile energy mix into the local communities and beyond. I sincerely hope that we can inspire greater use of green hydrogen in the marine sector as a result of this project."Andries van Unen, CEO, Tocardo B.V.:"This project provides a new perspective and versatile use for tidal turbines. The project is well suited to the range of Tocardo turbines allowing us to effectively scale up as demand for green hydrogen increases into
ASL Environmental Sciences Aids Sea Ice Study
In a collaborative effort with the Nunatsiavut Government and Dalhousie University to measure ice, water current and other physical and biological properties of the marine environment, ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. contributed a prototype Log Ice Profiling Sonar (LogIPS), and on February 15, 2020, the sonar was deployed on a taut-line mooring in the waters off Nain, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. The mooring also contained an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) as well as data loggers for chlorophyll, turbidity, temperature-salinity and dissolved oxygen. The mooring was deployed through a hole
EvoLogics Modems Authorized for US Navy Use
ANU listing granted after favorable USBL accuracy testsEvoLogics underwater acoustic modems were recently listed as Authorized for Navy Use (ANU), following a lengthy period of testing and technical evaluation by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and The Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) System. The ANU Program provides a list of selected diving equipment, tools and accessories which have undergone design safety reviews, testing and evaluation to ensure diver safety and acceptability.Engineers at ESSM who conducted the testing of the EvoLogics 18/34 kHz USBL modem system concluded “the
Challenges of Underwater Structure Monitoring for Offshore Operations
As the global energy industry enters a period of increased offshore deepwater exploration driven by economic viability, the demand for international underwater monitoring services looks set to strengthen into the new decade. According to a report from TechSci Research1, the value of global underwater monitoring services for the oil and gas sector is projected to grow from around $1billion in 2018 to $1.8billion by 2024.With an increasing focus on improving efficiencies throughout the global energy sector, the installation of subsea structures on the seabed can pose complex and costly challenges if
Drill Rig Noise: Entering the Exclusion Zone, Quietly
Unmanned surface vessels continue to make in-roads into new applications and industries. An ability to gather data in otherwise inaccessible locations is both increasing knowledge about marine noise and confidence in marine autonomous systems in the oil and gas industry. Elaine Maslin reports.Offshore oil and gas exploration and production activities have been going on since the mid-20th century. But the noise that drilling or production facilities emit into the marine environment and the impact they have on marine life isn’t perhaps as well quantified as it could be. That could be changing
Nigeria Pledges Improved Information Sharing
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Navy are set for a regime of improved information sharing as arrangements to integrate the Command, Control, Computer Communication and Information (C4i) Cente of the Deep Blue Project along with the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy.The Director General of NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh said, “Just like we did by ensuring that our Special Mission Vessels are manned by men of the Nigerian Navy, we are also looking at the possibility of effectively linking the C4i center at kikiriki with the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy.
FarSounder Enters Brazilian Market
FarSounder announced Ulstein Belga Marine headquartered in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is its newest dealer and their first in Brazil. Ulstein Belga Marine will integrate FarSounder’s Argos series of 3D forward-looking sonars into its product offering.“Our strategy has been moving towards digitalization and sensor related solutions for communication, navigation, sea-state monitoring and optimization of performance,” said Jan Lomholdt, Managing Director of Ulstein Belga Marine.The Argos system’s technology provides vessels with real-time 3D imagery of the waters ahead
DISCOVER Ocean Observing Prizes Awarded
, DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System.Part of the American-Made Challenges series, the Ocean Observing Prize inspires innovators to integrate marine renewable energy with ocean observation platforms, ultimately revolutionizing our capability to collect the data needed to understand, map, and monitor the world’s oceans
MBARI Works at Unlocking Ocean Biology
of MBARI’s SURF center, says it started with a group interest in microbial oceanography – the study of the smallest organisms in the ocean, including understanding how and why harmful algae blooms form. Dr Birch spoke about the work and its results at the National Oceanography Centre’s Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase (MATS) event in Southampton, late last year. The result is an Environmental Sample Processor (ESP), a compact robotic system that filters a water sample and then processes the biomass to create analysable samples.A long-range autonomous underwater vehicle carrying
Amman Mineral Orders Forum ROV for Subsea Mining Support
, with a Super Mohawk previously.Amman Mineral successfully completed the purchase of Newmont Mining Corporation’s ownership stake of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara in 2016."The Super Mohawk II ROV will be used to perform regular deep-sea tailing placement monitoring programs to ensure that the marine environment is highly preserved. The use of hi-tech and implementation of mining best practices demonstrate our commitments in environmental stewardship,” said Kartika Octaviana, Head of Corporate Communications Manager Amman Mineral.The ROV system will be manufactured at Forum’s UK facility
Tidal Power Firm gets Funding from Scottish Gov't
path that tidal power is currently on and also has exciting application in the floating offshore wind market. The subsea hub we have designed and developed is a key part of our overall cost reduction strategy for tidal power generation. This hub will also have direct application for other forms of marine energy such as floating offshore wind and wave energy. We are very proud to be taking the lead in realizing the full potential of our oceans' energy, delivering a cleaner energy future.I would also like to personally thank our dedicated marine energy team for their hard work bringing this project
Ransomware: The IT Danger on the Horizon
Guidelines for Cyber Security Onboard Ships, now the de-facto cybersecurity standard for vessel operators, and he continues to advise on the development of these guidelines. He also serves on the Board of Directors for CIRM (Comité International Radio-Maritime) -- the international association for marine electronics companies -- and Chair of the CIRM Cyber Risk Working Group, which fosters relations between all organizations concerned with electronic aids to marine navigation, communications and information systems. Outside of work, Saunders serves as an Officer in the Royal Naval Reserve where he
New Subsea Resident Vehicle Solution Taking Shape
Ocean energy solutions innovator Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) said it it is working with joint development partners Modus Seabed Intervention and Saab Seaeye to develop a new solution for carbon-free subsea autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) residency that would provide long-term, persistent deployment without support from manned vessels.“We believe a self-contained system powered by an OPT PowerBuoy and exempt from existing ocean infrastructure has the potential to revolutionize the industrial use of AUVs and make long-term residency a cost-effective reality,” said George Kirby, OPT
SBG Systems' INS Chosen for Shom Fleet
Shom, the French national hydrographic and oceanographic office selected SBG Systems’ inertial navigation sytems to renew their whole fleet of INS. They chose Navsight Apogee INS for their speedboats and survey vessels for both shallow and deep-water real-time bathymetric surveys and Qinertia PPK software for post-processing tasks.Shom has 3 major objectives: national hydrography and cartography, defense support in hydro-oceanographic fields, and support in maritime geospatial products and services for public policies on the sea and the coast. The fleet used by Shom is based in Brest and is
Fleet Xpress Chosen for Nekton Project
long voyage starting in mid-March exploring biodiversity around the Maldives, Seychelles and the High Seas. Video, audio and - for the first time - data will be transmitted from the deepest parts of the High Seas in the Indian Ocean to the research vessel Pressure Drop, then relayed via Fleet Xpress to marine science projects focusing on sustainable oceans. “The ocean is a key part of each Maldivian,” said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of Maldives. “71% rely on the ocean for their primary source of income. We have committed to a 5-year initiative to advance ocean protection and
Eni Taps OPT PowerBuoy for New Mission
US-based Ocean Power Technologies said Italian energy company Eni has extended its lease of a PB3 PowerBuoy for an additional 18 months. OPT has also been contracted for an additional scope of work to provide a power and communications solution for an entirely new application in the Adriatic Sea.Following more than one year of continuous maintenance-free operation as part of an underwater autonomous vehicle charging pilot project off the coast of Italy in the Adriatic Sea, OPT will redeploy the leased PB3 PowerBuoy to provide power to systems on an unmanned, decommissioned gas production platform.
Ocean Aero to Supply Vehicles for Homeland Security
is a simple, safe, and time-saving solution and can be operated from ramp, dockside or at sea. Supported by U.S. patents, Ocean Aero’s intelligent autonomous technology is ideally suited to fit the program’s various strategic maritime missions, ranging from intelligence and surveillance to marine mammal tracking, to Met-Ocean data gathering to persistent situational awareness
Schmidt Appoints Virmani as Executive Director
.Virmani previously worked as associate director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography and as a senior scientist at the Met Office, the United Kingdom’s national weather service.She has a bachelor’s degree in physics from Imperial College London, a master’s degree in atmospheric and marine environmental science from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and a doctorate in physical oceanography from the University of South Florida.Virmani will join the institute at the end of February and will be based in Los Angeles. “I am delighted and honored to be joining
UUV Manipulators: Get a Grip
While much focus on resident subsea vehicles has been about the vehicles, there’s also been a lot of focus behind the scenes on creating electric tooling. The industry has relied on hydraulic tooling since tooling has been used, with the benefits and drawbacks that come with it. Leading the field has been Schilling Robotics, now a part of the TechnipFMC group. But, for electric vehicles to really make to most of being all-electric, they really need to be free of the burdens of hydraulic systems. Suppliers are coming up with solutions.Electric manipulationSaab Seaeye is already well versed with
Ocean Energy: A Surge Coming in 2020
supported by the European Commission.These developments are documented in the OES 2019 Annual Report, which also reveals significant public and private sector investment earmarked for 2020. Marquee projects include $25m pledged by the US Department of Energy to support 12 ‘next-generation’ marine energy pilots and Wave Energy Scotland committing £7.7 million to two wave energy machines using the Stage Gate selection process. The European Commission is further investing in a broad set of initiatives and deployments.OES is expecting to see many more positive advances in 2020 as governments
Exploring Under The ice (& Keeping your AUV in one piece)
of factors led to these successful operations, and in this article we’ll discuss some of the inherent dangers of working under polar ice and how they were mitigated.Why are under AUV missions challenging?Every time an AUV descends to explore unknown regions, there is aPhoto: International Submarine Engineering Ltd. chance it can be lost. Even for AUVs the ocean is not a friendly place. The terrain it navigates is only partially mapped at high resolution; we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about our ocean floors.This said, there are ways to minimise the risks. There is always
Pearson to Lead National Subsea Center
Robert Gordon University (RGU) has appointed Chris Pearson as Director for the National Subsea Center (NSC), tasked with leading the center’s research and development to tackle subsea engineering challenges.Pearson will take up the new post immediately and will be responsible for the leadership and development of the multimillion-pound partnership between RGU and The Oil & Gas Technology Center (OGTC), which is part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. The partnership aims to deliver cost effective, faster, smarter and cleaner technology which will be developed with, and deployed across, the
Marine Autonomy Above & Below the Water
Marine autonomous systems and combinations of such systems are being increasingly put to the test in the offshore space. Elaine Maslin looks at how hybrid remote and autonomous systems are now being tested.Concepts like resident subsea vehicles, for inspection, repair and maintenance, are attractive options, but not the only ones being tried. Deploying remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) are also being tested and put to use. It’s another way to take operators out of harm’s way, centralize operations and cut costs and environmental footprints. But, there&rsq
Ocean Infinity Launches Armada
US-based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity said it has launched a new marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Armada, with a focus on combining technology and environmental sustainability, will initially add 15 bespoke designed marine robots to Ocean Infinity’s current fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).Armada’s fleet is currently under construction and is expected to be deployable by the end of 2020.Each unmanned surface robot will serve a wide range of industries by being fully
Trieste: 60th Anniversary of Deepest Dive
said Jan. 23 “was a lucky day.” Ambition, a sense of adventure and good fortune placed him on the path to historic destiny.Growing up near the San Francisco Bay, Walsh was captivated by the ships entering and exiting the harbor. Inspired, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy and became a submariner.Not long into his naval career, Walsh heard about an unusual opportunity. The Navy recently acquired Trieste and needed volunteer pilots to test it. However, since bathyscaphes didn’t operate like traditional ships, volunteers were scarce.Trieste had to be towed to an area for exploration&mdash
Inmarsat, ITC Global Expand Connectivity Options
The global provider of mobile satellite communications Inmarsat and the Panasonic Avionics Corp subsidiary ITC Global have announced a five-year strategic collaboration.The partnership enables the organisations to combine their highly complementary, market-leading services to offer broadband connectivity, paired with high-value connectivity solutions to customers in the maritime, yachting and offshore energy sectors.ITC Global will offer Inmarsat’s market-leading Fleet Xpress service, incorporating the Ka-band solution into its existing comprehensive range of Ku-band connectivity services.
DCSA Sets Track and Trace Standards
The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), a non-profit group of nine major ocean freight carriers, published track and trace standards in an effort to unify information sharing and further digitalization goals."This is the first of many initiatives to be put forth by DCSA to transform inefficient practices and accelerate digitization through a unified industry effort," said the Container line group.Carriers, shippers and third parties can use track and trace standards to "enable cross-carrier shipment tracking" and can download the standards from the DCSA website, DCSA said.
Hybrid Autonomous Systems Evolve
Marine autonomous systems and combinations of such systems are being increasingly put to the test in the offshore space. Elaine Maslin looks at how hybrid remote and autonomous systems are now being tested.Concepts like resident subsea vehicles, for inspection, repair and maintenance, are attractive options, but not the only ones being tried. Deploying remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) are also being tested and put to use. It’s another way to take operators out of harm’s way, centralize operations and cut costs and environmental footprints. But, there&rsq
Verdane Invests in Danelec Marine
Northern European growth equity investor Verdane Capital has taken a majority stake in the Denmark-based maritime hardware and software company Danelec Marine.Under the agreement, which was signed December 31, 2019, Verdane assumes a majority shareholder position in the privately held corporation. Danelec’s existing shareholders will continue to own shares in the company, and the management team, including CEO Hans Ottosen and COO Casper Jensen, will continue in their positions.Headquartered in Birkeroed, Denmark, Danelec Marine is a supplier of voyage data recorders (VDR), ship-to-sho
Maritime Blue-Light Laser Discovered
An EU maritime study has identified a record-breaking ‘blue-light’ laser for the maritime industry.Scientists working on the $1 million KETmaritime project have released a detailed report on the potential of ‘Photonic Marine Applications’.The latest report, which has been produced by Spanish research center AIMEN, reveals new boundaries broken in marine laser development – enhancing the detection of underwater objects including submarines and archaeological sites.Project coordinator Ana Vila from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) said: “In
MTS Appoints Dr. Josh Kohut as VP
The Marine Technology Society (MTS) announced that its membership has elected Dr. Josh Kohut, a professor at Rutgers University at the Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, to serve on its Board of Directors as the Vice President of Education, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.The Vice President of Education ensures that the Society develops and maintains positive and productive relationships with academic institutions, laboratories—both public and private—and research institutes and helps develop opportunities for students.“Josh has a great record of working with students
MTS Welcomes Two New Board Members
The Marine Technology Society (MTS) announced that it has elected two new board members: Jerry Miller and Josh Kohut.The Board Members elected Dr. Jerry Miller, President of Science for Decisions, to serve on its Board of Directors as the Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. MTS has also elected Dr. Josh Kohut, a professor at Rutgers University at the Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, to serve on its Board of Directors as the Vice President of Education. The positions for both will run from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.As Vice President of Government and Public Affairs
MOL Develops Engine Diagnosis Application
Japan's largest carriers of containerized and other cargo Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced an agreement for joint development of the next-generation engine failure sign diagnosis application, in partnership with ClassNK Consulting Service, IHI Power Systems, and Mitsui E&S Machinery.The four companies are looking to develop the application by fusing ClassNK's "CMAXS LC-A/e-GICSX"(CMAXS) and MOL's FOCUS "Fleet Optimal Control Unified System", which is intended to enhance safe operation and reduce environmental impact through advanced information and communications
Ocean Noise: Pile Driving Triggers Alarm Responses in Squid
Exposure to underwater pile driving noise, which can be associated with the construction of docks, piers, and offshore wind farms, causes squid to exhibit strong alarm behaviors, according to a study by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers published Dec. 16, 2019, in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.“This study is the first to report behavioral effects of pile driving noise on any cephalopod, a group including squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses,” says lead author Ian Jones, a student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Subsea Tech's 'March of Miniaturization'
all subsea operations have to be done by subsea vehicles. Another start-up, Birdview, is designing an aerial drone that can drop sensors into the water to gather data – or whatever you might want a subsea sensor to do. The Oslo-based company has already been working with Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Bergen to provide a remote sensor for offshore fisheries – i.e. a drone that is launched from a fishing vessel and dips a sonar into the water to see if there are shoals of fish, which can then inform the vessel where it should go.Mohibb Malik, a Project engineer at Birdview
SHI, SKT Trial Autonomous Ship Using 5G
South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and compatriot telecommunications operator SK Telecom (SKT) have developed a 5G-based autonomous navigation platform that will allow ships to move to set destinations on their own.The trial was conducted using a 3.3m craft developed by SHI and equipped with 5G-based LiDAR, cloud-based IoT platform and T Live Caster, SK Telecom’s real-time video monitoring solution at a shipyard covered by SKT’s 5G network.The test operation took place in the sea near SHI’s Geoje Shipyard, which is covered by SK Telecom’s 5G network.From
AUV Project Boosts Endurance, Navigation Capabilities
of greenhouse gases,” says James Cowles, L3Harris UK. “The environmental footprint of an independent ASV or AUV is, by comparison, negligible.”“Combining all of these capabilities will bring about a step-change in AUV operations, providing a disruptive capability in the marine autonomy space,” says Matt Kingsland, NOC. “Indeed, reducing the cost and improving the navigation precision of autonomous ocean science in remote areas could bring a disruptive capability to a wide variety of applications.&rdquo
2G Robotics Unveils Micro Inspection Skid
Canadian marine technology company 2G Robotics said it has launched a new laser survey skid for inspection class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV).Developed in partnership with iXblue and Nortek, the all-in-one integrated Micro Inspection Skid delivers high accuracy inspection capabilities with subsea dynamic laser scanning to enable survey and inspection by low cost vehicles.Available for new and existing vehicles including the Saab Seaeye Falcon and the Seatronics VALOR, the skid features a plug-and-play design that comes fully calibrated and only requires mounting and connection to the
10 Tech Trends to Impact Shipping Industry
A new report has identified the ten technology trends, and their associated risks, that will shape industry and society in the coming decade.The rapid advancement of digitalization is behind many of the trends, profoundly challenging our personal and societal assumptions, according to DNV GL, the global risk management and quality assurance company.The report 'Technology Outlook 2030' said that the relationship between humans and technology is switching, with humans increasingly augmenting the decisions of artificial intelligence, rather than the other way around.For example, in the next
Inmarsat, ABB Pact on IoT Platform
British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat plc and the provider of electric, digital and connected solutions for the marine industry ABB Marine & Ports have signed a master supply agreement aimed at tackling an obstacle identified by ship owners which has stopped them using IoT (Internet of Things) technology.A recent 2018 Inmarsat survey of 125 owners found 51% identifying an inability to get data off ships in real-time as their obstacle to IoT adoption.The agreement recognises ABB as a certified application provider to work with Fleet Data, the IoT platform developed by Inmarsat and
DOE Prizes to to Inspire Ocean Innovation
in two new prizes: Waves to Water, which challenges innovators to desalinate water using the power of ocean waves, and the Powering the Blue Economy™ Ocean Observing Prize, a joint DOE-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) prize, which challenges innovators to pair marine renewable energy technologies with ocean observing platforms.These announcements were made at a White House multi-agency public-private partnership summit that was focused on accelerating science, technology, and research in the oceans.“Innovative challenges such as Waves to Water and Powering
Autonomous Underwater Dredger Unveiled
As autonomy gains a foothold in the maritime world, dredging appears next in line to transition to operations without direct human control.A new design concept unveiled by a prominent Dutch ship design and engineering company aims to deliver major power savings and a larger working window for port maintenance dredging operations.The Autonomous Underwater Maintenance Dredger (AUMD) design developed by C-Job Naval Architects is a completely submerged dredging vessel specifically created for maintenance in port environments.According to C-Job, the one-of-a-kind fully electric design presents a more
Manatua Consortium Approves Cable Lay
A crucial meeting of regional telecommunications leaders has approved the final stages of planning for the installation of the Manatua – One Polynesia Cable. The new optical fiber submarine cable will span the South Pacific transforming speed, capacity, resilience and affordability. The six landings will be in Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, Apia, Samoa and Niue. It is the first fiber connectivity to Niue and the Cook Islands. Manatua is a groundbreaking collaboration initiated in April 2017 with the signing of an
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
Mooring Cables for LoVe Ocean Observatory
experience in designing and manufacturing underwater custom cables, NOVACAVI has recently supplied a couple of specially engineered mooring cables for the Lofoten-Vesterålen Cabeled Ocean Observatory.The Lofoten-Vesterålen Cabeled Ocean Observatory (LoVe) is a Norwegian infrastructure for marine research, monitoring and subsea technology development off the North Norway coast.Due to their peculiar harsh environmental application, these cables had to be conceived and manufactured to fulfil a wide range of data communication systems while guaranteeing the following key features:Breaking strength
