Navy Mine Countermeasures Contract Awarded
ECA Group awarded UMS SKELDAR a procurement contract to supply the UAV SKELDAR V-200 as part of the naval mine countermeasures capability replacement, a program led by Belgium Naval & Robotics – a consortium including Naval Group and ECA Group – which will supply 12 mine hunters equipped with drone systems (Toolbox) to the Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies.Working across 12 new generation ships (six each for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies), this contract is the first to materialize the stand-off concept by using a Toolbox – a system composed of a variety of drones to
Video: Seaspan Shipyards Launches CCGS John Cabot
Strategy (NSS), the Government of Canada’s strategy to renew the fleets of the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Two ships have been delivered and the third launched from Seaspan’s Vancouver shipyard over the course of 13 months.The OFSV is fully equipped to support Fisheries and Oceans scientists in the collection and analysis of data on Canada’s marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change. The floating laboratories features a full suite of state-of-the-art systems, including a deployable sensor-laden drop keel, high-tech fishing trawls and four science labs &mdash
Army Corps' Data Driven to Improve Coastal Projects
damage. Because of this, residents contacted us. They sought information about damages and if rebuilding was needed. We were able to use the data to better respond to their inquiries."This data is also available to the public and other agencies. The JALBTCX team posts the data on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Digital Coast website. The website is a multiyear archive of survey data acquired along U.S. coasts by partners in the Federal mapping community and some state agencies. A person is able to search for a specific coastal area, learn about available data
NORBIT Scores 'Major' Sonar Systems Order in North America
multiple NORBIT multibeam sonar systems, iWBMSh STX, which is a turnkey multibeam sonar system to be used for 3D and 4D bathymetric surveys and seafloor mapping, NORBIT said."The value of the order is approximately NOK 11 million [USD 1,1 million ] and the order is expected to be delivered from the Oceans segment during the third quarter this year," NORBIT said.The company did not say who the client was.This is the second contract award announced by NORBIT this week.NORBIT on Tuesday said it had won a contract with an existing customer within the aquaculture market
NORBIT Wins Contract in Aquaculture Space
from this customer, proving the value of our product," says Per Jørgen Weisethaunet, CEO of NORBIT.The value of the contract is approximately NOK 10 million (USD $1 million) and the order is expected to be delivered during the second half of 2020. The order falls under the company's Oceans segment. NORBIT did not say who the client was, nor what exactly the scope of the delivery was.NORBIT in 2018 established its Oceans business segment targeting the global offshore, maritime, and aquaculture markets.In the aquaculture segment of the Oceans business branch, NORBIT Aqua provides a
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Installs Wind LiDAR in New Jersey
by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, will provide observations of wind profiles up to several hundred feet in a location directly on the land/sea boundary.Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Shell and EDF, installed the LiDAR in collaboration with the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) and the Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS).The LiDAR will be in place for the next several years, collecting real-time weather observations contributing to ongoing research, monitoring modeling and data synthesis efforts of both Atlantic Shores Offshore
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
USVs: A Solution for Inspecting Dams and Guarding Waterways
The widely reported dam failures in Central Michigan this spring highlighted the dangers of aging infrastructure. As an op-ed in The New York Times, “Dam Failures Are a Warning,” suggested, “Two dams down, a few thousand to go.” It was not meant to be a sensational statement. Deteriorating infrastructure is an issue for most countries. Many nations have systems in place to evaluate and grade the state of their national infrastructure. In the United States, the nation’s civil engineers provide an assessment of the nation’s sixteen infrastructure categories using an
ION Geophysical, PGS in 2D Data Team-Up
Offshore seismic data companies ION Geophysical and PGS have agreed to collaborate globally on 2D exploration data. "Both companies have modern, high-quality multi-client data libraries that together cover all the significant hydrocarbon provinces around the world. The new joint data library will comprise nearly a million kilometers of uniquely complementary data, including many areas of genuine broadband seismic, that have substantial opportunity for integration and reimaging," the companies said.The companies said that ION's latest imaging technology and PGS' broadband 2D
Seed Funding to Commercialize ANB's pH Sensing Tech
ANB Sensors reports it has secured "a sizeable, oversubscribed investment round" to enable commercialization of its novel calibration-free pH measuring technologiesThe financing is a co-investment by Hatch Blue, an early-stage aquaculture venture capital firm and angel investors, experienced industry professionals represented by Namier Capital Partners.ANB Sensors is aiming to provide a solution to meet the demands required for a truly networked solution. The tech is based on a voltammetric electrochemical technique to verify the performance of the reference electrode and calibrate it
Ocean Power Technologies Launches Hybrid PowerBuoy
Ocean Power Technologies, an ocean energy technology developer, has expanded its offering with the latest product called the hybrid PowerBuoy.The hybrid PowerBuoy is a buoy that offers remote power for subsea and topside applications, data communications, and a nominal 1.5-megawatt-hours of energy storage. While OPT is known for its moored floating buoys - such as OPT PB3 PowerBuoy - that harvest and store wave energy, this buoy is a hybrid, meaning it doesn't necessarily depend on waves to generate power, as it utilizes solar panels and a Stirling backup engine to power topside or subsea
For the Royal Australian Navy, Technological Leap Starts Small
(M 82) will be 21 years old this May. The MHCs are slow and are not always available where and when they are needed. Furthermore, they need to enter mined areas to find the mines. Captain Bryan Parker, the RAN’s Commander Mine Warfare, Clearance Diving, Hydrographic, Meteorological, Oceanographic and Patrol Force (COMMHP), said the Task Group MCM capability aimed to provide a tactical capability essential to reducing the hazard of mines in the littoral maritime domain for Navy’s deployed Fleet, while also minimizing direct exposure of its personnel to dangerous sea mines
Staying Vigilant On and Beneath the Waterline
The ocean is a very large and increasingly congested place. More and more shipping and industry is using it. But the risks hidden below the waterline, that established navigational tools don’t always detect, remain.But what if the trend for new surface-based sensor technology, the likes of which enable cars to detect potential collision hazards, could be available for shipping to detect underwater obstacles?That’s just what Sonardyne International Ltd. has developed with its new Vigilant forward looking sonar (FLS). Instead of a visual parking aid, which shows you the view behind your car
SBG Systems Unveils New Line of Miniature Inertial Sensors
SBG Systems introduced the third generation of its line of miniature inertial sensors called the Ellipse Series. This renewed product line benefits from a 64bit architecture allowing high precision signal processing. All the INS/GNSS now embed a dual-frequency, quad constellations GNSS receiver for centimetric position and higher orientation accuracy.The Ellipse Series line is composed of four models: the Ellipse-A is a motion sensor, the Ellipse-E provides navigation with an external GNSS receiver, the Ellipse-N is a single antenna RTK GNSS/INS and the Ellipse-D is a dual-antenna RTK GNSS/INS.
Drone Specialist Cyberhawk Lands 5-Year Deal with Shell
Drone-based inspection company Cyberhawk has said it has signed a five-year, multimillion-dollar software contract with oil giant Shell.Under the contract, Cyberhawk will provide its cloud-based asset visualization software iHawk for all onshore, offshore, and subsea assets, as well as all global construction projects."The contract follows the successful integration of iHawk at a construction project valued at over $6bn in the USA, where it is now being used by over 800 monthly users and has been rolled out at further sites in the UK, Central America, and Africa," Cyberhawk said.Cyberhawk
Using High Res 3D Meshes for improved Shape Reconstuction of Marine Survey Data
, the point cloud data can be improved, and a more accurate mesh created in Fledermaus. There are also specialized tools, such as the SfM add-on for Qimera, which can be used to correct for refraction errors in submerged data acquired from airborne photogrammetry, as shown in Figure 3 (Data courtesy 4DOcean). The image shows a beach profile running from land to underwater with the original terrestrial and bathymetric SfM points, and the refraction corrected SfM terrain model derived from the same source, but after the correction. The original terrain model's profile is colored in Red and the
FarSounder Signs on NAVSEA UUV Project
FarSounder said Tuesday it has been selected as a subcontractor on a research and development project led by GMATEK Inc. This project is contracted by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Program Executive Office - Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO-USC).The research project will apply machine learning and deep-learning artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify solutions and develop a system to mitigate and compensate for sensor degradation on board unmanned surface and undersea vehicles (USV/UUV). GMATEK will include FarSounder’s newest product the Argos 350 among
WHOI: Ocean “Pumped” to Capture More Atmospheric Carbon
While scientists have long known the essential role that the ocean plays in capturing atmospheric carbon, a new study from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows the efficiency of this natural pump has been underestimated.The ocean’s “biological pump” is a critical part of the global carbon cycle and relies on phytoplankton, single-cell organisms that use photosynthesis to turn light into energy—consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the process. When phytoplankton die or are eaten by zooplankton, carbon-rich fragments sink into the ocean, then consumed by
Autonomous ANTX: Seismic Survey Tech and Port Security
could be relevant to other markets. The idea that it could support naval assets came up within the last couple of years and resulted in ION getting involved in ANTX. The event is run every year by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) out of Newport, Rhode Island, and CNMOC (Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command), based at Stennis, MS.For ANTX 2019, ION proposed a joint exercise with AutoNaut, a UK based wave propelled unmanned surface vessel (USV) developer, part of the Seiche group of companies, to address the ANTX Marine Security theme. An AutoNaut USV would provide environmental monitoring
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
Kongsberg's LARS for Ocean Infinity's Armada Robotic Ships
Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has signed its first contract for its ROV launch & recovery system (LARS) specifically 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
Flooded Member Detection Using ROVs
VideoRay, a global leader in inspection-class ROVs, has implemented the new ISFMD Flooded Member Detection (FMD) system manufactured by Impact Subsea, a UK-based subsea technology company specializing in high-performance sensors, as an available option for their Mission Specialist Defender series of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).The Mission Specialist Defender is a robust ROV designed for precise control of the vehicle position and orientation, heavier payloads, and demanding intervention. As such, it has seven thrusters enabling it to move in any direction and maintain an active pitch to face the
Sonardyne USBLs Installed on Brazilian Geoscience Vessels
Brazilian geoscience services company OceanPact Geociências has chosen deep water positioning technology from Sonardyne Brasil Ltda. to support its geophysical, geotechnical and environmental research operations across the region.Ranger 2 Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL) systems have been installed on board OceanPact’s research vessels Seward Johnson and Austral Abrolhos, both currently on hire to Brazilian oil major Petrobras. The systems will be used to precisely track the location of underwater equipment and sensor packages deployed from the ships, including seabed corers, towed sensors and
Hybrid AUV Completes Depth of Burial Survey for Offshore Wind Farm
Modus Seabed Intervention completed a high speed bathymetric and depth of burial survey of the inter array cable routes on the innogy operated Gwynt-y-Môr offshore wind farm, using the Modus HAUV-2 (Hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) .The Gwynt-y-Môr Offshore Wind Farm comprises 160 Siemens 3.6MW WTGs located approximately 8 miles from the North Wales coast in Liverpool Bay in water depths ranging between 12m and 28m. The WTG’s are connected by 161 inter array cables which total circa 147km in length. The worksite is known for high subsea currents, so any solution had to
One-on-One with Mark Kenny, GM, Unmanned Maritime Systems, L3Harris
. The Iver4 provides an open interface and optional payload section for third party sensor providers to integrate their own hardware and software. Titanium and carbon fiber construction maximizes the useable volume in the pressure hull and decreases maintenance requirements when operating in harsh, open ocean environments.Photo: L3Harri
RS Aqua launches WaveRadar REX2
RS Aqua launched its next generation WaveRadar, the WaveRadar REX2. In been in development for several years, the WaveRadar REX2 is half the size and weight of the legacy REX, consuming 10 times less power while offering a 25% greater range and still maintaining its accuracy.The WaveRadar REX2 is powered by a new Emerson microwave sensor, using the same Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) measurement technique that has been used by the WaveRadar REX over the past 20 years. This new higher frequency sampling unit enables a greater measurement range of up to 80 m, and the same high accuracy over
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
Near- or Below-normal Hurricane Season Predicted for Central Pacific
has four or five tropical cyclones.“This year we will likely see less activity in the Central Pacific region compared to more active seasons,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Less activity is predicted since ocean temperatures are likely to be near-average in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean where hurricanes form, and because El Nino is not present to increase the activity.”This outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal tropical cyclone activity in the Central Pacific basin, and does not
One-on-One with Duane Fotheringham, President, Unmanned Systems, HII
move under the HII banner the Hydroid brand is transitioning into Huntington Ingalls Industries. According to Fotheringham, “the REMUS and Seaglider brands will remain product lines within the organization. We will also continue to advance REMUS as part of our partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) through our technology transfer agreement.”Members of the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle detachment, Commander, Task Group (CTG) 56.1, guides a UUV for recovery during a training exercise. CTG 56.1 provides mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, salvage diving
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
Another Sabertooth Vehicle for Hibbard
Hibbard Inshore has purchased a second Saab Seaeye Sabertooth underwater robotic vehicle. The Michigan-based company was first to adopt the Sabertooth technology for long tunnel inspection, breaking its record with a 12 km Australian run using its initial Sabertooth vehicle.The Sabertooth technology also enabled Hibbard to lead in water-filled tunnel inspection at speed and against flow – and negotiate more consecutive bends than conventional systems.In addition to its single hulled Sabertooth, Hibbard has also evaluated the double hulled Sabertooth which has led to the recent purchase and
ASI Expands Lidar Portfolio with Teledyne Optech
Teledyne Optech has announced they have signed an agreement with Aerial Surveys International (ASI) to sell a Galaxy T2000, upgrade their existing Galaxy Prime to a Galaxy T2000 and install both sensors in the productivity-doubling G2 Sensor System.This purchase will enhance ASI’s capabilities through the effective 2-million point per second PRF of each Galaxy T2000. Moreover, by combining both sensors on the G2 Sensor System, ASI will bolster their capacity to a true, effective 4 million point per second that provides unmatched point density with the highest available efficiency.The
USS Nevada Shipwreck Located
65 nautical miles southwest of Pearl Harbor, researchers said Monday.The USS Nevada (BB-36), which served in two world wars over the course of a career that spanned more than three and a half decades, was discovered by underwater and terrestrial archaeology firm SEARCH, Inc. and marine robotics company Ocean Infinity at the bottom of the Pacific.The mission was jointly coordinated between SEARCH's operations center and one of Ocean Infinity's vessels, Pacific Constructor. Pacific Constructor set sail for a range of commercial tasks in the Pacific in early 2020, ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic
Hydrographic Survey Vessel to be Converted for Unmanned Operations
A hydrographic survey vessel will operate in multiple areas of the Wadden Sea, commanded from shore by personnel in an office in Amersterdam.U.S.-based Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and advanced perception systems, said Thursday that Dutch company Deep BV will equip one of its vessels with a Sea Machines SM300 autonomous contril system to enable remote command of the vessel, including navigation and positioning, the control of on-board auxiliaries and sensors, and ship-to-shore data flow. Sea Machiens says its SM300 autonomy system shifts full-mission vessel control
Falcon ROV Chosen for Project off West Africa
A service provider in the West African offshore energy sector has ordered a Saab Seaeye Falcon, fully fitted for survey work.Lucas Inyama, Technical Director of Nigeria-based Geocadinal Integrated Services, said, “We ordered a survey customized Falcon ROV to support our subsea inspection / installation projects in West African waters.”The customized survey suite on Geocadinal’s Falcon includes a Digital Edge HDD dual channel recording and eventing system, a dual laser system for video survey and measurement, and a Tritech sonar.The vehicle also comes with five function hydraulic and
Kraken Reports 126% Revenue Jump in 2019
Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. reported an annual revenue of $15 million (CAD) for 2019, up 126% from $6.7 million for 2018.Revenue in 2019 was highlighted by the delivery of a $9 million order for SeaPower batteries to Ocean Infinity in the second half of the year; the delivery of a KATFISH system in the second quarter of 2019 as well as delivery of sensors to multiple customers, the company said.“2019 was an extremely busy year for Kraken,” said Karl Kenny, Kraken’s President and CEO. "We are delighted to have generated positive Adjusted EBITDA in 2019
Planet Ocean Inks Distribution Deal with 4H-JENA
Planet Ocean announced the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with -4H-JENA engineering GmbH, Germany for the UK and Ireland.Following the purchase of the CONTROS range of instruments by -4H-JENA has announced that as well as continuing to offer the range of CONTROS dissolved gas technology for CH4, CO2, PCO2, pH and Total Alkalinity; Planet Ocean will also be introducing the other -4H-JENA range of marine technology products.-4H-JENA produce custom FerryBox systems for installation in vessels, designed to suit each individual application with sensors, processing telemetry and mechanical
Fugro Mapping Arctic Waters off Norway
program. The fieldwork will run from June to late October this year.The survey area covers approximately 2,700 km2 over Spitsbergenbanken, a large bank in the Barents Sea, in water depths ranging from 30 m to 500 m. Fugro said it will use state-of-the-art-sensors, advanced calibration techniques and oceanographic measurement workflows designed for acquiring vital Geo-data in this challenging environment.During the survey campaign, Fugro will continue its ongoing contributions to crowd sourcing initiatives such as The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project, the global initiative to produce a high-resol
Planet Ocean, Pharos Team for Data Buoy Solutions
Planet Oceansigned a partnership agreement with Pharos Marine Automatic Power to provide data buoy solutions worldwide. The partnership will see Pharos Marine responsible for manufacturing the buoy hulls and mooring designs while Planet Ocean will provide the sensors, loggers and telemetry solutions along with data visualization systems via their delivery partner OceanWise. The new systems will also be able to take advantage of the conservation mooring capabilities of the Safe-Moor compliant mooring system.The DB range covers 1.25 to 3.6m diameter buoys specifically designed for
Challenges of Underwater Structure Monitoring for Offshore Operations
have come forward over the last few years, CCS appears to be one of few effective, large-scale options at the time of writing.Photo: AshteadDMS for offshore operations and communicationsIn September last year, Ashtead Technology completed a two-part subsea installation monitoring project for client Ocean Installer AS in the Northern Norwegian Sea. The company supplied its DMS to monitor the installation of 15 Integrated Template Structures (ITS) in total, located in Equinor’s Askeladd and Johan Castberg fields.Combining powerful software with modular technology, the DMS was deployed alongside
Robotics Community Gains Access to Xsens IMUs
Xsens, the manufacturer of motion sensing modules, has signed a sales distribution agreement with Clearpath Robotics, the manufacturer of robot development platforms, which will make it easier for R&D teams and university researchers to use the popular MTi-series of inertial measurement units (IMU, VRU, AHRS and GNSS/INS) in robot designs.Under the arrangement, Ontario, Canada-based Clearpath Robotics has been appointed as an authorized distributor of Xsens’ MTi-series with a regional focus on Canada and the Eastern United States.Clearpath Robotics enjoys close relationships with a broad
BMT Unveils Hull-form for Autonomous Operations
Engineering firm BMT has unveiled a new hull-form specifically designed for long range autonomous operations. The Pentamaran design has been optimized to reduce fuel consumption and increase its adaptability across multiple applications.Offering a myriad of applications for defense and commercial innovators, Pentamaran vessels may be custom configured for military, patrol, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and hydrographic survey work.The Pentamaran has been designed to reduce drag as much as possible, with very slender central hull and two smaller hulls
New Drifter Buoy Tracks Water Currents
MetOcean Telematics has developed the STOKES Iridium tracking drifter, a compact drifting buoy designed and tested in technical partnership with Florida State University (FSU) that tracks water currents at the surface.The small light-weight buoy is equipped with Iridium satellite telemetry, GPS positioning and a sea surface temperature sensor. Iridium satellite telemetry enables the buoy to provide vital sensor and geo-positional location data in real time. Iridium also allows the buoy to have bi-directional capabilities. This is a critical ability, for example, if the buoy enters a region of interest
FarSounder Enters Brazilian Market
users in navigating challenging waters with safety and security. This technology detects and clearly shows its users various in-water hazards including shallow bottoms and numerous fixed and moving underwater obstacles including icebergs and shipping containers.“With its many rivers and huge ocean with an enormous coastline, Brazil is a market with many types of vessels that can benefit significantly from Farsounder's innovative navigation technology. We are excited to start the collaboration and feel that FarSounder fits perfectly into our portfolio of international, trusted providers
Depro, VideoRay Team Up for Offshore Inspections
Depro AS and VideoRay LLC announced a new partnership to develop and field lighter and less expensive equipment for underwater operations, primarily in the oil and gas sector.Depro AS is an engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) supplier with expertise in building remotely operated tools used in underwater operations for offshore oil and gas production.VideoRay LLC is a provider of inspection-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Its Mission Specialist Technology is a customizable and flexible platform that uses a system of interchangeable, modular components. The philosophy behind the
Kongsberg to Supply ASW Sonars for Finish Navy Corvettes
Kongsberg Maritime AS, Sensor & Robotics has signed a contract with Saab that will see Kongserg delivering its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and diver detection sonars for the Pohjanmaa-class corvettes currently being developed by the Finnish Navy under its Squadron 2020 project.Under the terms of the contract, which equates to approximately NOK 100 million, Kongsberg will equip the vessels with its SS2030 and SD9500 sonars, both of which boast acoustic properties which make them ideally suited for deployment in shallow-water environments.The SS2030, principally devised for ASW operations and
Device Turns Shells of Sea Creatures Into Power
An innovation using material derived from the shells of crabs and other sea creatures may soon provide a new option for powering medical sensors, phone screens and other devices.A team from Purdue University used chitosan – an abundant natural biopolymer from marine crustacean shells – to create triboelectric nanogenerators. TENGs help conserve mechanical energy and turn it into power.“We have taken an innovative approach to using typically wasted shell material and turned it into functional, self-powered devices,” said Wenzhuo Wu, the Ravi and Eleanor Talwar Rising Star
Untethered Vehicle Tech Continues to Advance Autonomy
addressed this theme, several helped clarify the many ways this “buzzword” is advancing the capabilities of untethered marine vehicles.Kongsberg Maritime offered two presentations: “How Autonomous is Your AUV” presented by Richard Mills and “Autonomous Technology for Ocean Exploration,” by Arnt Olsen. Together these presentations used the context of Kongsberg’s vehicles, especially the Hugin AUV and the Sounder USV, to discuss what autonomous technology means, and is capable of. In the case of the USV there is a clear spectrum of operator control. This
Kraken, Greensea Partner to Advance Marine Robotics
simplifies contracting between the companies and allows for ongoing collaboration for software and hardware technologies. Greensea will support Kraken in maturing ongoing programs and accelerating new commercial offerings, including supporting Kraken’s R&D programs under the scope of the OceanVision project.The companies also intend to work together specifically in the areas of seabed residency and hull inspection and have already demonstrated successful efforts by integrating Kraken sensors into the Greensea OPENSEA Platform and Greensea hardware products, including the newly developed
Seamor Marine Debuts New ROV with 3km Capacity
Seamor Marine introduced a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with a 3-km capacity, expanding the reach of Seamor’s previous systems by one kilometer. A unit recently arrived in western Panama where one of the country’s hydroelectric generation companies has begun using it for tunnel inspections of two hydroelectric projects on the Old Chiriqui River. “We are excited to bring this new innovation to the pipeline industry,” said Robin Li, President of Seamor Marine. “The ROV 3-kilometer fiber optic tether and reel system expands the range of our vehicles from two
DISCOVER Ocean Observing Prizes Awarded
Eleven winners were announced in the first “DISCOVER” stage of NOAA and the U.S. Department of Energy's Powering the Blue Economy: Ocean Observing Prize, a competition designed to spur technology innovation, allow for easier and cheaper data collection across the 80% of the world’s oceans that remain unexplored, and contribute to the growth of the blue economy.“The United States can harness science and technological advances to increase our understanding and effective management of the ocean environment at a level of detail and geographic scale never before possible,”
Kraken Debuts Ultra High Def Upgrade for AquaPix Imaging Sonars
echoes.Kraken measures resolution in real-world conditions using a data-driven technique, developed by Kraken’s team of sonar scientists. The measured resolution of 1.9 x 2.1 cm includes effects such as aperture shading to reduce sidelobes, UUV nonlinear motion, and acoustic propagation in the ocean environment.In mine warfare, it is well-known that the probability of detecting and classifying a target increases with improving image resolution. A similar principle applies for commercial seabed survey operations, where clear imagery is needed to show the health and integrity of subsea assets
GeoSpectrum Launches TRAPS-USV
GeoSpectrum Technologies has launched a new and compact version of its Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar (TRAPS) suitable for unmanned surface vessels (USVs).Named TRAPS-USV, this lighter-weight variant is designed to fit on almost any size vessel, including patrol boats and USVs, while retaining full active sonar acoustic capabilities and providing ground breaking low frequency active submarine detection off smaller platforms.With overall system weight reduced to approx. 40% of the already compact TRAPS, TRAPS-USV allows surface vessels and USVs as small as 12 meters long, to be equipped with
Saab Seaeye's Falcon Flies High
In 2020, Saab Seaeye sees the Falcon flying high as the top-selling electric underwater robotic vehicle in its 34-year history.Launched nearly 20 years ago, its design has kept the pioneering concept in step with two decades of global technological advances.The Falcon has opened up many new sectors to the potential of robotics, from marine science to aquaculture and from wind energy to hydroelectric dams.The design created a small, powerful, multi-tasking, easy to use, reliable and robust vehicle - with intelligence.Just a meter-long and rated 300 to 1000 meters depth, the Falcon’s five powerful
Environmental DNA Emerging in the Ocean Science Community
There is a new buzzword in the ocean science/sensing community. The word is eDNA, an abbreviation for environmental DNA. This refers to DNA that can be extracted from environmental samples without first isolating any target organisms. In the maritime community such samples are taken from water. All living organisms leave traces of DNA in their environments which is an indicator of their presence over time. This DNA is released into the environment through the biological process of living animals or by the decomposition of dead organisms. eDNA is a complex mixture of traces that enables the
Kongsberg Develops New LARS for HUGIN AUVs
oil & gas infrastructure, or even retrofitted in a containerized solution. Coupling this new LARS with our highly maneuverable, stable, compact and customizable HUGIN AUVs, which utilize a modular payload system capable of accommodating a comprehensive variety of sensors, will transform commercial, oceanographic and military applications of all kinds.&rdquo
SubSeaSail G6 Platform Passes the Test
The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) along with logistical support from the US Navy successfully tested their SubSeaSail G6 platform at multiple coastal sites off the Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. Remote sensing applications for monitoring underwater unexploded ordnance were demonstrated by mounting a passive filter assembly to the G6 platform to detect explosive compounds in the water. Additionally, a water quality sensor was mounted to monitor other water quality parameters including temperature, salinity, depth, and turbidity. During
MBARI Works at Unlocking Ocean Biology
Greater understanding of what goes on in the ocean is starting to become a reality – thanks to growing use of unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and developments in biological sensing. Elaine Maslin takes a look at what a team at MBARI has been doing.Gathering biological data from the oceans remains a significant challenge for oceanographers. Now, an increasing range of unmanned vehicles that are able to work together is becoming available, as is an ability to collect biological data using them.It sounds straight forward, but traditionally the collection and processing of biological
Copenhagen Subsea Debuts the Gorilla ROV
Copenhagen Subsea launched a new powerful Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), specifically developed for the offshore industry. The ROV is based on Copenhagen Subsea’s rim-driven thruster technology and is designed to be robust and reliable in challenging environments – qualities which inspired us to name it the Gorilla.In fact, reliability has been first and foremost throughout the design and development of the Gorilla. By basing the ROV on industrial components, Copenhagen Subsea was seeking to ensue the utmost operational reliability.The Gorilla is equipped as standard with an intelligent
Helping to Keep Waterways Navigable in the Netherlands
Maintaining the narrow navigational channels through the shallow tidal flats of the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands is a constant battle, due to the high rate of sediment deposition. Nortek’s Signature VM instrumentation has proved to be a valuable weapon in this fight, providing vital information on particle density and current flows through the water layers.The Dutch jokingly say that God created Earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands, given the extensive measures taken through the centuries to reclaim and protect the country’s low-lying land from the sea, largely through the construct
