Sonardyne Suite for Dive Technologies’ AUV
control of its large displacement DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) program.Founded in 2018, Dive Technologies’ rapid development program has included support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and technology partnerships with organizations including the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics at Virginia Tech. A key part of the development has been to opt for high-performance, off-the-shelf systems for its DIVE-LD AUV, a 19-ft. long, 48-in. diameter vehicle designed for operations down to 6,000 m water depth. It is currently in production in the U.S. with sea testing
Teledyne Marine Introduces New Ultra Compact Acoustic Modem
Teledyne Marine announced the launch of its new Ultra Compact Modem (UCM). At 60 by 50 millimeters, and weighing 55 grams, the OEM version of the UCM is the smallest acoustic modem ever designed by Teledyne Benthos.The UCM is based on Teledyne Benthos’ signal processing technology to address the need for reliable wireless underwater acoustic communications onboard the growing number of autonomous micro vehicles and other subsea instruments. As the size of these micro vehicles continues to decrease, Teledyne Marine has responded with lightweight, low power, proven sensors and systems to expand
Putting Power on the Seabed: Edging towards a Subsea Powerhouse
wind power and even hydrogen into the offshore energy mix.Subsea transformers could be used as gathering stations for offshore wind power, reducing platform maintenance, says Mæland. Having subsea power distribution could also support seabed mining operations and the increasing move to autonomous marine systems, which would need power. Integrating batteries and offshore wind would need subsea control systems, and this is something ABB is also working on.Photos from ABBSiemens close to qualifiedAnother JIP was run by Siemens Energy to deliver 6 MVA of power over 200km and distribute it locally, is
US Navy Helps Small Companies Engage with Experimentation
execution by offering beginning-to-end facilitation, mentoring, and training in all aspects of experimentation,” said Scott Bartlett, the DoN SEC program manager,Naval experimentation can validate or inform concepts of operations, operational plans and doctrine, and ultimately how the Navy and Marine Corps fights. The magnitude and focus of naval experimentation events range from small limited technology demonstrations to large scale naval exercises. “Finding a fit and function where small businesses can insert their technologies and prove their warfighter capability is extremely challenging
What's In Store for 2021? More Remote, More Data, More Autonomy
Late 2018, before net-zero targets had been agreed to by most western energy giants and nations, BP came out with a goal to reach 100% of subsea inspection by marine autonomous systems by 2025.It was a tangible goal then, and it’s one that might now be reached faster as remote and more “digitally” oriented operations take hold with greater opportunities for new nimble players in the market. It’s a goal being chased in the offshore wind sector too.Some of it is about emissions targets. Starting in 2019, the growing mass of pledges to net-zero targets by nations, upstream companies
NASA’s JPL Using Teledyne Marine APEX Profiling Floats
Teledyne Marine announced the recent sale and deployment of three APEX profiling floats to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The three floats were equipped with RBR CTD sensors, Short-Burst-Data for communication over the Iridium Satellite Network, and special parachutes for air deployment. The rise in global sea levels will be a major environmental challenge for the 21st Century. For this reason, it is of increasing importance that we improve our methods and understanding for predicting this process. A recent major initiative to do this has been led by JPL Scientist
Sonardyne's Sensors for Ocean Infinity's Armada USV Fleet
Ocean Infinity, a U.S. based marine survey firm developing the world's largest fleet of unmanned surface vessels - Armada - has ordered Sonardyne sensors for its robotic vessels.As reported previously, Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Sonardyne said Wednesday it would provide the first wave of Ocean Infinity’s new Armada fleet with key sensor technologies for underwater platform navigation, tracking, control, and communications, as well as ensuring uninterrupted
50 Years from Now: Perspectives from Marty Klein
"50 Years From Now" was published in the Oceanology International 50th Anniversary Edition published by Marine Technology Reporter. Here we present insights from one of the legends in the field, Martin Klein. (*Editor's Note: This was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)Martin Klein Looks Back:“When I started my business, I had no background in management and I would seek help from people I admired. One of the things I wrestled with was if and how to make long range plans. At a lunch at one of the ocean conferences I asked one of my mentors his thoughts about long-range plans.
New Project Aims to Revolutionize Ocean Observations and Measurements
; Technologies for Ocean Sensing – will pioneer five new sensors, two imaging systems, a novel sampler and an artificial intelligence-driven image processing methodology, all capable of robust operations at depths beyond 2,000 meters.TechOceanS will actively engage with scientists, manufacturers, marine stakeholders and resource managers to target “Essential Ocean Variables” that currently can only be measured by observations from a ship. The new technologies developed in the project will enable the capture of vital, previously inaccessible data on the ocean’s biogeochemistry,
INTERVIEW: RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
NOAA and Naval Oceanography use unmanned systems similarly to collect similar data sets, we do it for very different reasons with very different mission sets. A great example is acoustics. NOAA uses acoustic sensors (like hydrophones) primarily in their fisheries and climate groups. They are monitoring marine mammals, detecting seismic activity, and using it for law enforcement for public consumption. Naval Oceanography collects acoustic information to understand how ambient noise impacts sound pathways through the ocean to enable undersea warfare. CENOTE better postures Navy and NOAA to reduce costs
Autonomous Offshore Power Trials Get Underway off Hawaii
with a pair of powerhouses: the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. NavyInitially conceived during a U.S. Department of Defense project, the SeaRAY AOPS is designed to provide in-situ power, energy storage, and real-time data and communications support that is intended to advance the marine economy toward a future of autonomous, connected and resident technologies. It is designed to support unmanned offshore activities, including subsea vehicles, sensor packages, and operating equipment.“The ocean is a power desert,” said Reenst Lesemann, CEO of C-Power. “Providing
Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg Tech: RDT&E's Annual Arctic Technology Evaluation
The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) teamed up with Coast Guard Cutter Campbell’s crew this summer to evaluate five technologies as part of the RDC’s annual Arctic Technology Evaluation. The Campbell crew conducted the evaluations during their two-month deployment supporting joint Arctic operations off Greenland’s western coast, returning to their Kittery, Maine, homeport on Sept. 29, 2020.“Testing various technologies by cutter crews for operation in cold and Arctic environments provides highlights on what works and what may need improvement, and can help
MIT Studies Underwater Navigation Powered by Sound
New approach could spark an era of battery-free ocean exploration, with applications ranging from marine conservation to aquaculture.GPS isn’t waterproof. The navigation system depends on radio waves, which break down rapidly in liquids, including seawater. To track undersea objects like drones or whales, researchers rely on acoustic signaling. But devices that generate and send sound usually require batteries — bulky, short-lived batteries that need regular changing. Could we do without them?MIT researchers think so. They’ve built a battery-free pinpointing system dubbed Underwater
Overwatch: Advancing NATO’s Maritime Situational Awareness via Commercially Available Space-based Assets
a Gordian Knot of threatening events and generates mismatches between what an adversary expects you to do and what you actually do. This makes your adversary feel trapped in an unpredictable world of doubt, mistrust, confusion, disorder, fear, panic and chaos. As former Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles C. Krulak stated in his analysis of the Gulf War that “The Iraqi army collapsed morally and intellectually under the onslaught of American and Coalition forces. John Boyd was an architect of that victory as surely as if he’d commanded a fighter wing or a maneuver
Seabed Imaging Re-imagined
accidents. The end result for either method is usually extensive, lengthy post-processing on the vast amounts of gathered data.A new, 3D deep-sea imaging system, developed by the University of Southampton, with support from Sonardyne, under the Natural Environment Research Council’s OCEANIDS Marine Sensor Capital “BioCam” program, has gone a long way to resolving these challenges.During its first 24-hour deployment, a BioCam fitted to an Autosub6000 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC), mapped more than 50 times the area of
Hydromea Launches LUMA X, Wireless Underwater Optical Modem
Hydromea launched a new patent-pending subsea wireless communication modem LUMA X. The LUMA X can beam data using light at up to 10 Mbit/s with a 120-degree cone. With that, the LUMA X enables real-time streaming of HD-quality video and 4K images wirelessly through water – allowing the operators of autonomous underwater vehicles to monitor its interventions from the comfort of its control rooms onshore.“The wide-angle beam gives subsea vehicles connecting via the LUMA X a lot of freedom of movement,” said Felix Schill, co-founder and CTO of Hydromea. “The small size of the
Significant Dredge Monitoring Network for OSIL
Environmental monitoring systems manufacturer Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) said it has been awarded a contract for the international supply of a network of dredge monitoring buoys.The Tern buoy hull design incorporates a stainless steel sub frame with a moon pool for instrument protection, and its modular manufacture makes the buoy easy to ship and assemble on-site following delivery. The 12 buoys are set up to communicate via Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) with an onboard Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) option to further reduce operational costs when the buoys are moved
A look inside Emily Penn’s eXXpedition
Emily Penn is an ocean advocate and co-founder of eXXpedition. As an artist, skipper and marine explorer, she is leading the world's newest crew of superheroes: those dedicated to saving our planet. Born and raised in England, Penn grew up sailing and was trained as an architect at the University of Cambridge—a career that would pan out very differently than she imagined. Today, with 12 years of action and outreach under her belt, Penn takes an approach to solving our ocean crises that emphasizes collaboration, community and commitment, all bolstered by her passion, hope and energy towards
In a First, ROVOP Inspects Offshore Installation via Video Link
UK-based ROV services provider ROVOP has said it has delivered its first remote platform-based inspection, repair, and maintenance workscope, "effectively reducing the number of personnel required offshore," on Premier Oil's Balmoral floating production vessel in the UK North Sea.The ROV company carried out remote visual and NDT inspections of hull sections, flowlines, umbilicals, and risers, along with chain inspection, measurement, and cleaning, on the Balmoral unit with the help of a live video stream."Using the latest communications and modeling technology, ROVOP worked closely
VIDEO: Purdue Working on Mobile Docking Station for AUVs
in your living room. “An autonomous vacuum, like a Roomba, does its vacuum cleaning, and when it runs out of battery, it autonomously returns to its dock to get recharged,” she said, “That’s exactly what we are doing here, but the environment is much more challenging.”Once a marine robot submerges in water, it loses the ability to transmit and receive radio signals, including GPS data. Some may use acoustic communication, but this method can be difficult and unreliable, especially for long-range transmissions. Because of this, underwater robots currently have a limited range
Acoustic Data launches high-expansion Retainer with Integrated Acoustic Telemetry
Acoustic Data has developed a new slickline deployed high expansion retainer for cement and metal alloy plug and abandonment (P&A) applications. In the case of new-generation metal alloy plugs, the HEX-Retainer can be integrated with the company’s SonicGauge Plug Verification System (PVS) for real-time long-term barrier integrity monitoring purposes.The SonicGauge PVS uses wireless communication in the form of acoustic telemetry to transmit downhole pressure measured below the barrier to surface, or alternatively, in deep-set applications, to a SonicReceiver unit that can be permanently
Hydramec's LARS for Fugro's Uncrewed Surface Vessels
Offshore surveyor Fugro has ordered a Hydramec launch and recovery system for its new uncrewed surface vessels recently ordered from Sea-Kit.Fugro, based in the Netherlands, in August ordered two 12-meter SEA-KIT X class uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), with one bound for their Asia-Pacific region and the other for North Sea operations.The first of the 12-meter SEA-KIT X class USVs is expected to be delivered to Fugro in Perth, Australia, in the fourth quarter of 2020 and will feature remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) launch-and-recovery systems and station-keeping
Ocean Startup Challenge Awards 14 Companies $25K Each
airboats for inland and coastal water monitoring and surveying applications. Their boats are built to be simple and straightforward to operate, easy for users to customize with add-on equipment, and reliable in operation.Kavacha.ca (Canoe Cove, PE) uses fish waste to provide active protection to marine industries through direct-to-metal coatings in harsh environments. Their solution saves users more than 30% on material and labor, while increasing or maintaining asset lifetime, reducing toxin exposure/imprint, and providing a high-volume value add for a fishery waste stream.Marecomms Inc. (Halifax
Four HUGIN AUVs for the Indian Navy
Kongsberg Maritime sold four HUGIN AUV systems to the Indian Defense Public Sector shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), located in Kolkata, India. This sale was conducted in collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime India, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime.The purchase, which also includes HiPAP 502 high-accuracy acoustic positioning and communication systems to support AUV operations, will be installed on the four Large Survey vessels currently in build for the Indian Navy. GRSE Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Vipin Saxena said: “We are
Subsea Technology and the New Routes to Residency
Efforts to increase remote capability often go hand in hand with increasing ROV residency. But exactly what form residency takes is diverging. Elaine Maslin takes a look.Dial back the clock five years and there was a movement towards an idea dubbed subsea resident remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The idea, in simple terms, is that you increase ROV availability and reduce cost and carbon emissions by having the vehicle permanently based subsea in underwater garages. A number of vehicles could even cover a cluster of fields, potentially with different owners who can dial up, on demand, a vehicle when
Vehicle Launch: Riptide UUV-12 takes BAE Systems into Medium UUV Sector
BAE Systems unveiled the newest addition to its unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) portfolio, the RiptideTM UUV-12, a 12-inch diameter vehicle is the company’s entry into the medium UUV market.“The Riptide UUV-12 system significantly extends the Riptide family of UUVs by taking us into the medium UUV market,” said Jeff Smith, chief scientist at BAE Systems’ FAST Labs research and development organization. “With this medium-size platform, we are strategically aligning our modular, open architecture-based UUV platform to meet rapidly expanding applications and requirements.
Charting Terradepth's Big Ambitions in the Unmanned Vehicle Space
Kauffman, with a mission to increase seafloor mapping rates economically and to create a business based on the data it gathers.Terradepth CEO Joe Wolfel.An ocean data challengeTheir focus came from personal experience, specifically the collision of the USS San Francisco – a nuclear powered submarine – with a seamount at flank speed in 2005. While they were deployed in Iraq at the time, it was big new. “How does the US navy not know there's a mountain underwater? That idea stuck in our heads,” explains Wolfel. They did a little digging and discovered that 70% of the earth
Inspired by Adélie penguins, EvoLogics Presents its new PingGuin AUV
EvoLogics recently introduced PingGuin, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with low-drag bionic design. The vehicle was developed as part of the MUM (Modifiable Underwater Mothership) collaborative R&D project and was first demonstrated in Kiel, Germany, in June 2020.Outstanding hydrodynamic properties of a penguin’s body became the starting point for the AUV design within the NaviMUM subproject, assigned to EvoLogics. One of the EvoLogics co-founders, Dr. Rudolph Bannasch studied Adélie penguins and the effectiveness of their locomotion since the 80s, undertaking several field
Ocean Startup Challenge Shortlists 31 Companies for Prize
the shortlisted companies having ocean technologies in the earliest stages of development,” said Don Grant, Executive Director, Ocean Startup Project. “Another 19 shortlisted companies applied with working prototypes.”The shortlisted solutions involve environmental monitoring, reducing marine mammal entanglement in fishing gear, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, technologies to reduce corrosion and biofouling, networks of sensors and analysis tools, sustainable bait alternatives, vision systems, underwater communications and IoT networks, value-added by-products, fish health
Teledyne CARIS AI Software Used in Uncrewed Offshore Survey
Teledyne CARIS, a Teledyne Technologies company, said it was an integral part of the team involved in a recent uncrewed offshore survey mission in the Atlantic Ocean. Teledyne CARIS’ Mira AI and CARIS Onboard software were present on the vessel to enable autonomous survey and real-time processing operations.The mission’s uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) built by SEA-KIT mapped over 1,000 square kilometers of the ocean floor in 22 days, while being continuously monitored via satellite communications at its Remote Operations Center in Essex, U.K. A specialized team comprised of the GEBCO-Nippon
Blue Logic Wins ONS Award for Subsea Docking Station for ROVs
Underwater technology company Blue Logic has won the Innovation Award 2020 from Norway's ONS, for the development of an open-standard subsea docking station for underwater vehicles.The award, given in the small and medium-sized enterprises category, was awarded on September 1, during ONS 2020 Digital, this year's variant of ONS, as the main event had to be canceled due to COVID-19.According to Blue Logic, its seabed installed docking station enables underwater vehicles or drones to be permanently deployed subsea by providing access to power for charging and communications, for upload/download
R&D: Robotics Advances Inside the ORCA Hub
Many of the more advanced mechanics of robotic systems are being developed as part of the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets (ORCA) Hub in Edinburgh. It’s a publicly funded project led by the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics (Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh), in collaboration with Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Liverpool. We spoke with some of their specialists.First of all, what is robotics? Does that include remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles, for example?David Lane, Professor of Autonomous Systems Engineering
Robotics: Autobots Transform in the Offshore Energy Sector
Robots and robotics have slowly been entering our lives, in various shapes and forms (and fictional characters), from self-driving household vacuum cleaners to highly automated manufacturing systems. Now they’re heading for the offshore world – in just as many shapes and forms.There could be a lot to gain from robotics, but platforms and offshore wind turbine structures are also very challenging places to put them on. For oil and gas, key drivers are around safety and cost . For the offshore wind sector, the sheer volume of structures being installed is driving a push for robotic systems
The Troubled History of Protecting Marine Assets
The history of protecting marine assets is a tale of endless perseverance. From the moment humans have put infrastructure in the water, it has been damaged by other humans. Despite incredible advances in technology and installations, incidents still occur at an unacceptable rate. The types and volume of marine assets have exploded since the 1850s when the first submarine telegraph cables were laid. Today oceans, seas and lakes are the home of thousands of cables, tens of thousands of miles of subsea pipes, and countless underwater storage tanks. Above surface, assets are also still at a surprising
Arctic Rays Debuts New Submersible Monitoring System
Arctic Rays, LLC has launched a compact submersible monitoring system for use in 1 atmosphere pressure housings.Designed specifically for manned submersible battery pods and electronics housings where immediate detection of leaks is critical, the monitoring system is suited for other applications as well.The 90.5mm x 51mm x 19mm single-board system monitors for ground faults, leaks and includes on-board barometric pressure, temperature and humidity sensors. The ground fault system monitors both poles of two independent DC busses up to 350V. The leak detection system can monitor up to eight
Sea-Kit's Uncrewed Surface Vessel Ends 22-Day Offshore Mission
on the successful completion of the USV's remote survey operations campaign, Ivar de Josselin de Jong, Director Remote Inspection at Fugro said: "This proof of concept is exciting and confirms Fugro made the right choice to partner with SEA-KIT to develop a range of USVs that will transform the marine industry.” Fugro Orders Two SEA-KIT USVsPeter Walker, Director of Technology at SEA-KIT, said:"We are on track with our strategy of leading the development of remote and autonomous solutions. It has been a tense but exciting few weeks. The project’s overall aim was to demonstrate
GeoSpectrum Unveils New Long-range Acoustic Underwater Transducers
of legacy systems.Robust, affordable, easy to operate with, ranges exceeding 2,500 kilometers and capable to effectively operate under ice, the C-BASS family of transducers is suitable for a wide range of subsea applications, including communication/transmission from shore or surface units to submarines; divers’ alert and communications; communication with Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) for control/positioning; mine sweeping, as well as augmentation of submarine signatures when transiting in or out of ports or narrow passages.C-BASS transducers are available in a variety of sizes and configurat
INTERVIEW: Kris Kydd, Head of Robotics, at Total E&P UK; Total’s “Stevie the Robot”
Total has been working on robotics for some years now, having launched the Argos challenge in 2013 and now getting ready to put the Taurob designed Stevie robot through its paces in a trial at Shetland Gas Plant. We spoke with Kris Kydd, Head of Robotics, at Total E&P UK.What have been the main lessons learned to date around enabling these systems to operate in an offshore environment?Total believes that robots have a huge amount to offer to our industry. We are pioneering their use on oil and gas sites, and the last seven years have seen progress, and lots of lessons learned! Robots offer
Florida Current is the Weakest Its Been in a Century
The Florida Current, which forms the start of the Gulf Stream, has slowed over the past century and is the slowest it has been at any point in the past 110 years, a new study reveals.Researchers have developed a method of tracking the strength of near-shore ocean currents using measurements made at the coast, offering the potential to reduce one of the biggest uncertainties related to observations of climate change over the past century.“In the ocean, almost everything is connected,” said Christopher Piecuch, an assistant scientist in the Physical Oceanography Department at the Woods Hole
Fugro Conducts 'First Fully Remote Inspection' of Offshore Platform in UK
Dutch offshore services provider Fugro said Tuesday it had delivered "the first fully remote inspection of an oil and gas platform in UK waters."The operation took place 250 km east of Scotland, using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and Fugro’s remote operations center (ROC) in Aberdeen. "In a first for the UK sector, the platform’s entire jacket structure was inspected remotely, demonstrating Fugro’s proficiency in remote operations capabilities," Fugro said.Fugro said it had originally intended to trial the remote inspection provision during the campaign.
Enhancing Understanding of Gulf Sediments
gaps that we can work together to close. Each agency on this MOU has a significant role to play as we prepare for future large-scale restoration projects. Understanding the nature of coastal materials is critical to the success of those projects”As the federal agency with jurisdiction over marine minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf, BOEM manages the use of non-energy marine minerals, including sediments, through environmentally responsible stewardship, prudent exploration and leasing activities, coordination with governmental partners and stakeholders, and mission-focused research to
TDI-Brooks' New Vessel Completes Its First Projects
TDI-Brooks’ newest vessel R/V Miss Emma McCall has recently completed its first projects for the U.S.-based marine data acquisition services company on behalf of Total and Cairn Energy offshore Mexico. TDI-Brooks has the vessel on a long-term bare-boat charter from Cameron Offshore Boats.The 2003-built Miss Emma is a multi-use oceanographic research vessel outfitted for a wide variety of oceanographic research duties for operations in the Northern/Southern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), U.S. East Coast and elsewhere in the Americas. The vessel is equipped to acquire geophysical surveys for offshore
Teledyne Benthos Acoustic Modems Aid in Innovasea Fish Tracking
telemetry to aid researchers worldwide in their quest to understand aquatic animal behavior. The vastness and complexity of the ocean, combined with the nearly constant motion of many species, make this an incredibly challenging task. However, Innovasea is providing critical tools to monitor fish and marine mammal behavior, movements and habitat to enable better decisions surrounding management and conservation.One of the pillars of this technology is Innovasea’s VR4 UWM (Underwater Modem), which is used for tracking and recording tagged fish populations. The VR4 is a submersible receiver capable
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
