Sensors News

Teledyne Acquires FLIR

Industrial conglomerate Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY) said it has completed its acquisition of thermal imaging cameras and sensors company FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:FLIR). FLIR will now be included in Teledyne’s Digital Imaging segment and operate under the name Teledyne FLIR.Under the terms of the cash-and-stock deal announced in January, FLIR stockholders received $28.00 per share in cash and 0.0718 shares of Teledyne common stock for each FLIR share, which implies a total purchase price of approximately $57.40 per FLIR share based on Teledyne’s closing price on May 13.

CSA Ocean Sciences Adds Long-range ASV

U.S.-based marine environmental consulting firm CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) said it has added a new autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) to its fleet. The SR-Endurance 11.0 (SeaRobotics) heavy payload ASV, which has already been deployed to work on several survey projects in the Northeastern United States, is capable of autonomous missions of up to 60 days, powered by a hybrid, diesel-electric propulsion and supported by a state-of-the art communications system.The SR-Endurance 11.0’s sensor suite is engineered for coastal marine survey, metocean studies, and passive acoustic monitoring, while its

DNV, Partners Working on Automated Verification of Offshore Wind Turbine Inspection Results

DNV has launched a research project to develop an automated data processing method for verification of detected wind turbine blade defects.The aim of the research is to build trust and generate broader acceptance of automated data processing techniques across the industry and to inform future regulation, DNV said.The research project is being conducted in partnership with the University of Bristol and Perceptual Robotics. It will investigate the automated verification, validation, and processing of inspection data, collected by autonomous drones, to improve inspection quality and performance. The

VIDEO: Up Close and Personal with Ocean Explorer Robert Ballard

Ocean explorer and scientist Dr. Robert D. Ballard opens up on his personal life and his world-famous ocean discoveries like never before in his new book, “Into the Deep.” Best known as ‘the man who found the Titanic,’ Marine Technology Reporter had the opportunity to interview Ballard on the contents of the book, a book released yesterday with a follow-up National Geographic television special scheduled for June 14, 2021, taking a deep dive into his dyslexia, the importance of his family throughout his career, and reflections on what’s important – and what is not

BOSS' Ocean Bottom Seismic Robotic Vehicle Prototype Passes Sea Trials

Blue Ocean Seismic Services (BOSS), the company developing autonomous subsea vehicles for seismic survey applications, said Tuesday it had completed sea trials navigating a test prototype version of its underwater vehicle autonomously underwater using BOSS’ electronics and software system during a series of sea trials completed in Perth, Australia.   BOSS said that its long endurance self-repositioning autonomous underwater nodes will conduct offshore seismic surveys for oil and gas exploration and reservoir optimization, while also identifying and monitoring carbon storage opportunities

Silicon Sensing Upgrades Gyro for Downhole Surveying

Silicon Sensing Systems is delivering its latest generation of gyroscopes, as the new CRS39A has been designed for use in severe environments including downhole drilling operations.  This upgrade of Silicon Sensing’s established CRS39 gyro includes a move to a single board from two. This has reduced the unit’s mass by 40% and allows it to be installed far more easily in space-limited applications, such as the 25mm diameter cylinders typically used in downhole drilling equipment.CRS39A also incorporates upgraded micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and electronics, including new

Mariscope Launches its new ROV Flunder

Mariscope introduces Flunder, touted as "a powerful and fast" Observation Class/Light Work Class category ROV.The model is based on the Commander MK III, and in its standard version Flunder incorporates six new generation thrusters with a power of 400 W each, with a vectorized distribution (4 horizontal and 2 vertical) and a modified control system. The power of the motors can be increased on demand up to 900 W each.The ROV measures 100 x 120 x 40 cm and has a speed of 3-5 knots, with a maneuverability that allow its excellent performance in all kinds of conditions. Some manufacture highlights

OTC Award for Subsea 7 Offshore Corrosion Monitoring Tech

Offshore energy services company Subsea 7, and its subsidiary Xodus Group have received recognition from OTC for Subsea 7 Nano Engineered Sensor Platform (Subsea 7 NESP), and will receive a Spotlight on New Technology Award at this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).Describing its technology, the company said that Subsea 7 NESP, developed in collaboration with Xodus, is a transformative solution that can continuously monitor fatigue and corrosion offshore, reducing OPEX in these areas. "The wireless nano-technology sensor can be deployed efficiently and easily across any operating

Finland-based Pipeline Inspection Firm Rocsole Wins Another OTC Award

Rocsole, a Finland-based developer of offshore pipeline inspection technology, has received an Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Spotlight on New Technology award for a system that inspects pipelines while allowing production to continue without interruption.The award was given to Rocsole for its Deposition In-Line Inspection (DILI) system. DILI system uses a non-nuclear tomographic technology to inspect pipelines for deposition build-up thickness, type, and location.This is Rocsole's second OTC Houston Spotlight award. The company was recognized last year for its Liquid In-Tank Inspection

EdgeTech Debuts 2050-DSS Combined Side Scan Sonar & Sub-Bottom Profiling System

EdgeTech introduced a new combined tri-frequency side scan sonar and high resolution sub-bottom profiling sonar system.The 2050-DSS is a tri-frequency side scan sonar system, where any two, operator selectable, frequencies can be operated simultaneously. The system can be provided with either a 120, 410 & 850 kHz towfish, or a 230, 540 & 850 kHz towfish.  Both towfish options are equipped with a 2-16 kHz sub-bottom profiler, that utilizes a PVDF panel receive hydrophone. Use of an area based receive hydrophone panel provides improved beam patterns and therefore improved signal to noise

3D at Depth Acquires Hybrid AUV/ROV

Subsea laser LiDAR (SL) technology and 3D data visualization solutions specialist 3D at Depth Inc. has acquired Saab Sabertooth Hybrid AUV / ROV. The company said that the multi-million-dollar investment will complement 3D at Depth's SL Subsea LiDAR laser technology systems and 3rd party geophysical equipment, giving the company "an impressive spread of integrity measurement equipment.""The Hybrid AUV / ROV coupled with 3D at Depth's patented SL Subsea LiDAR laser with remote sensing technology adds an extra layer of measurement and repeatability. In addition to normal

German Government Funds Autonomous Subsea Robotics System Development Project

systems and the method for autonomous docking of the system underwater.The University Medical Center Freiburg will focus on the development of electric field sensors that can cope with the harsh underwater environment and measure highly sensitive corrosion protection.GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel specializes in all relevant aspects of modern marine science. The institute will develop the AUV’s camera system and provide test platforms for the systems

Kraken to Equip New AUV Customer with AquaPix Sonar and SeaPower Batteries

Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. announced new purchase orders for a 6,000-meter rated AquaPix MINSAS 120 sonar and SeaPower batteries totaling over $1.2 million from a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) customer. Due to customer confidentiality, Kraken cannot provide more details at this time. The company expects to fulfill these orders in 2021.Kraken’s batteries and sensors will be integrated on this customer’s survey-grade AUV and this order follows initial integration and sea trials of Kraken’s AquaPix MINSAS in 2020. Kraken’s AquaPix MINSAS is

TECH FILE: WASSP S3 Gets an Upgrade

WASSP releases latest version of its S3 dedicated Hydrographic Survey MBES with rollout of new Real-time Processing Module.Multibeam Echosounder WASSP, which has more than 20 years experience in Multibeam sounder technology and over 2500 systems in the field, has released the latest product in its S-Series range with the updated S3 and S3r kit. The new S3 builds upon previous iterations of the S3 improving both hardware and software to give amazing performance for money within the mid-range survey market. The new WASSP S3 is reportedly able to survey up to 10 times faster than a single-beam

Equinor Hires Fugro for Deepwater Survey Work off Canada

Equinor has selected Fugro to perform a deepwater site investigation in Canada’s Flemish Pass, 500 kilometers off the coast of St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in approximately 1200-meter water depths.The field campaign will run from July until August and entails a seabed survey, an environmental survey and a soils investigation, with client deliverables scheduled for September, Fugro said.The seabed and environmental surveys will be performed using Fugro’s newest autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the Echo Surveyor VIII, which is designed to capture engineering-grade bathymetri

OPT's PowerBuoy Deployed Offshore Chile

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) said Thursday that Enel Green Power (EGP) has deployed OPT's PB3 PowerBuoy off the coast of Las Cruces, Chile to support the country’s transition to clean energy.OPT’s PB3 PowerBuoy converts wave motion into electricity to supply continuous and autonomous power and enable secure collection and transmission of data from the sea. In September 2019, EGP purchased a PB3 PowerBuoy and associated equipment from OPT to support Chile’s Marine Energy Research and Innovation Center (MERIC) Project, a hub for innovation in marine energy in Chile and

Atlantic Shores to Deploy Research Buoys at U.S. Offshore Wind Lease Area

the eventual build-out of over 3 gigawatts of offshore wind. While progressing its portfolio of projects, the developer continues to work with state universities conducting atmospheric and migration research off the New Jersey coast. Last year, Atlantic Shores and Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) collaborated on the installation of a wind LiDAR (light detection and ranging) instrument alongside the causeway leading to the Rutgers University Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, New Jersey.  RUCOOL will use some of the data collected from the upcoming buoy deployment

Researchers to Launch 500 Floating Robots to Monitor Ocean Health

After years studying the icy waters of the Southern Ocean with floating robotic monitors, a consortium of oceanographers and other researchers is deploying them across the planet, from the north Pacific to the Indian Ocean.The project known as the Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array, or GO-BGC, started in March with the launch of the first of 500 new floating robotic monitors containing computers, hydraulics, batteries and an array of sensors scientists say will relay a more comprehensive picture of the ocean and its health.“The ocean is extremely important to the climate, to the sustainability

Valeport Achieves 'Made In Britain' Status

Valeport achieved the internationally recognized 'Made In Britain' accreditation for its range of marine solutions that are developed, designed and manufactured at its UK headquarters in Totnes, Devon.The independent, family-owned business, which employees more than 90 people from state-of-the art facilities on the River Dart, designs and supplies precision sensors and probes to a worldwide customer base that includes: environmental, energy, construction, dredging, engineering, scientific research and military sectors.The Made In Britain accolade is part of an initiative to support and promote

ARL gets Grant to Develop Seismic Sensor for Flying Node AUV

Autonomous Robotics Ltd (ARL) has won a grant funded project from  the UK-based OGTC and two European energy companies to develop a bespoke seismic sensor to fit in the company’s autonomous underwater vehicle solution, Flying Node. The project is expected to last 15 months.  ARL is a UK company developing an autonomous underwater vehicle solution – Flying Nodes – to be deployed in swarms of up to 3,000 for assessing and measuring key data in depths of up to 3,000 meters.  The technology promises to dramatically reduce the cost of obtaining accurate data in the key

Seabed Power: Waves Used to Power Up Sabertooth Autonomous Vehicle

Zooplankton Fish Profiler.The 3000m rated Saab Seaeye Sabertooth is a roaming and hovering system that can operate in both fully autonomous (AUV) and tethered (ROV) modes,.Hibbard will deploy the Sabertooth for other significant projects this year including research at Lake Michigan by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concerning the invasive zebra mussel that adversely impacts the U.S. Great Lakes Region at a cost of $500million a year.The 3000m rated Saab Seaeye Sabertooth is the world’s only roaming and hovering multi-role vehicle that can operate in both fully autonomous

Tech: Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Upgrade for Research Vessel Atlantis

Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) underwater tracking technology is to provide improved support to oceanographic work from the research vessel Atlantis, including science expeditions in the human occupied submersible Alvin. The most updated version of Ranger 2 provides greater precision, speed and range tracking and replaces the existing Ranger 1 system, which has been supporting research from the ship since 2009.Additional upgrades include a new AvTrak tracking and telemetry instrument for Alvin, to support the increased depth rating of the submersible, from 4,500 m to 6,500 m.

REMUS 300 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Launched

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced the commercial release of its REMUS 300, a new open architecture, small-class unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that can dive to depths of 305 meters (1,000 feet) and has endurance options up to 30 hours.“The REMUS 300 is the most advanced small-class UUV on the market,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group in HII’s Technical Solutions division. “It combines everything we’ve learned from more than 20 years of development on our REMUS 100 systems with enhancements like advanced modularity

C-Power, Birns Connect on SeaRAY Autonomous Offshore Power System Demo

Birns Inc. and C-Power announced anew partnership in support of C-Power’s demonstration of its SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system (AOPS) at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site in Hawaii.Birns is supplying Birns Millennium subsea connectors and cable assemblies for the SeaRAY AOPS being deployed in Hawaii in the summer of 2021.C-Power has initiated commercial launch of the SeaRAY AOPS. The AOPS is an integrated offshore power generation, energy storage, data server, and communications system for support of unmanned mobile and static assets.  It provides energy and bidirection

Nicola Offshore, Cyprus Subsea Partner Up

and Services C.S.C.S. Ltd (C.S.C.S.) have signed a commercial partnership agreement.The goal of the partnership, as shared in a press release on Wednesday, is to share knowledge and resources "to unlock new efficiencies for acquiring marine data using multibeam echo sounders, subsea gliders, and ocean monitoring instruments."Launched in March 2021, Nicola Offshore will bring technical expertise on the more specialist aspects of marine data acquisition such as object and unexploded ordnance (UXO) search to the partnership. On the other hand, C.S.C.S. will contribute its expertise in subsea

Coda Octopus Debuts Echoscope4G C500 Inspector System

Coda Octopus released the new Echoscope4G C500 Inspector system, designed as a modular, mobile platform to make sonar deployment simple and fast.The Inspector comprises a bespoke, lightweight integrated sensor platform supporting the ISAR rotator and the C500 sonar. The Inspector platform can be suspended and lowered from a single lifting point for near-surface temporary deployments or can be placed directly on the seabed using the extendable tripod legs included with the system. A single integrated sensor cable (ISC) connects the ISAR and C500 sonar to the 3D Connect integrated topside unit providing

Bosch Rexroth Presents "Disruptive" Electric Subsea Valve Actuator

Bosch Rexroth said Monday it would present "a disruptive innovation" for electrically actuating valves in the subsea process industry at Hannover Messe (April 12-16, 2021). "The new SVA R2 Subsea Valve Actuator is the world’s first electric actuator that can replace conventional hydraulic cylinders with field-proven safety technology and without taking up additional space," Bosch Rexroth said."The integrated electric controller offers precise motion control. Thanks to condition monitoring and a safety spring, the SVA R2 satisfies Safety Integrity  Level (SIL) 3

Kraken Robotics Enters LOI to Acquire PanGeo Subsea

in subsea acoustic and optical imaging: Kraken’s suite of ultra-high resolution seabed 3D acoustic imaging sensors, autonomous robotics, and optical laser scanning paired with PanGeo’s suite of leading-edge sub-seabed high resolution 3D acoustic imaging systems.“Since plans for our OceanVision project started in 2018, we have been preparing our industry leading Synthetic Aperture Sonar and 3D underwater laser scanning technologies to be used in a Robotics/Data as a Service (RDaaS) business model as opposed to a product only strategy," said Karl Kenny, Kraken President and CEO

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Smart Power Buoy - Wave Power Expands Recharge at Sea Possibilities

From powering sensor systems to recharging autonomous vehicles to feeding the power grid, Resen Waves is making step changes in the renewable wave power market. Roland Boysen, CCO, discussed the technology and the potential with MTR.While generations of innovators have attempted, to varying degrees of success, to harness the tremendous renewable power potential of waves, the Danish company Resen Waves contends it is able to do just that, in a scale to remotely power sea-based instruments and vehicles, and eventually all the way up to entire cities.The Resen Waves Smart Power Buoy is designed to

OSIL: Milestone in Dredge Monitoring Buoys

Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) offer a wide range of adaptable dredge monitoring solutions to suit all budgets and application requirements, and have over 500 data buoy systems installed globally.The basic buoy hull designs incorporate a stainless-steel sub frame with a moon pool for instrument protection, with a robust modular construction that facilitates shipping and ship and assembly on-site following delivery.Data can be relayed directly from the monitoring platforms onto client’s servers using the most suitable telemetry systems available (which can include multiple/dual telemetry

RBR debuts RBRquartz³ Q|plus Pressure Logger

RBR announced the commercial release of the new RBRquartz³ Q|plus pressure logger to meet the demands for high-accuracy, long-term measurements of sea level, tidal, and wave dynamics by coastal oceanographers . At the heart of the RBRquartz³ Q|plus is an integrated Paroscientific Digiquartz pressure sensor for best-in-class initial accuracy, resolution, and low-drift performance.Intended for long-term autonomous or realtime observations, the RBRquartz³ Q|plus has high stability and can resolve water level changes as small as 100ppb at 16Hz sampling rate (for example, at 50m depth

New ASV Delivered to the US Navy

a WAM-V 16 autonomous surface vehicle ASV to Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific to support multi-domain unmanned maritime system autonomy.According to Marine Advanced Robotics, the WAM-V technology is particularly suited for subsurface, surface and air sensor deployments in real world ocean conditions where asset recovery is critical in less-than-ideal conditions.“WAM-V stability and portability are unmatched and together with NIWC and our industry partners, we demonstrated the multi-domain (air, surface and subsurface) capabilities of the WAM-V during the Citadel Protect Autonomous

Maritime Safety: POB Tracking Will Become Essential Offshore, Says Olympic Subsea

Keeping track of personnel on board (POB) “will be a requirement on all contracts” with offshore energy companies, predicted Tonny Sørdal, vice-president for quality, safety, health and environment of support vessel operator Olympic Subsea ASA.He was speaking just a year after one of its customers first asked for that capability and now, seven of the company’s 10 vessels have been fitted with a system that not only tracks crew and contractors while they are on board, but also as they transfer from the vessel to wind turbines and even within the turbine itself. Its other three

Solar-powered USV Delivered to Mississippi State University

awareness and understanding of the Gulf region.The MSU team was attracted to the SeaTrac platform for its ease of use and versatility to navigate in a variety of waterways, as well as its ample available power to support a rich payload over long durations. The custom payload includes the following: Pro Oceanus CO2-Pro CV sensor, Seabird SBE 63 dissolved oxygen sensor, 3 Seabird ECO Triplets, AML CT Sensor and AML pH Sensor.“The team at SeaTrac is first rate; they can integrate anything and have been a pleasure to work with, pushing the envelope to fit into their boat all of our complex demands

Fiber Optic Sensing and Mining an Ocean of Data

Fiber optic sensing is opening up vast new areas of research and data gathering potential, not least across our oceans, where existing cables could offer a new global sensing network. Elaine Maslin reports.Criss crossing between our nations, across channels and between continents are a multitude of cables – some 120 million km of them. Some are pretty old (the first international submarine cable was laid across the Channel, between the UK and France, in 1850). But many laid since the 1980s contain fibre optics and provide the conduits for everything from those YouTube cat videos to stock market

Seaspan Shipyards Begins Building Canada's New Research Ship

Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards announced on Monday it has cut steel and started full-rate construction of the newest oceanographic science research vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.The 88-meter Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) is being built under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) at Seaspan’s multi-program Vancouver Shipyard concurrently with the first Joint Support Ship (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy.The OOSV will support oceanographic, fishery, geological and hydrographic survey missions, replacing the CCGS Hudson due

SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY: Underwater Acoustics Pick up the Tempo

its first images of its Jezero Crater landing site. Percy, among many other technological creations, demonstrates the curiosity and capacity of our exploratory efforts. While our achievements in outer space exploration pile up, there is still much work to be done here on Earth—particularly in our oceans. To date, about 80% of the world’s oceans remain unexplored and only 7% are designated marine protected areas (MPAs). The depth of our oceans comes with many setbacks to “seeing” the deep sea in a traditional sense—zero visibility, freezing temperatures and crushing levels

Lighthouse SpA to Take Delivery of HUGIN AUV System

Italian survey company Lighthouse SpA will take delivery of a HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) system in March 2021 from Kongsberg. The HUGIN to be delivered is rated to 4,500 meters and is equipped with a full geophysical survey payload, including a Kongsberg HISAS 1032 synthetic aperture sonar, EM2040 multibeam echosounder, sub-bottom profiler, camera and laser, together with a range of environmental sensors.The scope of supply extends to all equipment required for day-to-day operations, including a 30-foot AUV container housing the Stinger launch and recovery system, battery chargers

UK Royal Navy Developing Surveillance Vessel to Protect Critical Subsea Infrastructure

The UK Royal Navy is developing a "Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ship (MROSS)" aimed at protecting critical subsea infrastructure from threat.In a statement on Wednesday, the UK Ministry of Defence said the ship would come into service by 2024."[MROSS] will be a surface vessel, with a crew of around 15 people who will conduct research to help the Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence protect our undersea critical national infrastructure and keep our lives and livelihoods secure from threat," the ministry said."Undersea cables are vital to the global economy and communications

Fleet of Ocean Robots, Buoys, Set for Deployment Off Plymouth

research institute.An 8.5-meter-tall Autonomous Data Buoy featuring a set of onboard sensors will soon be deployed offshore as part of Smart Sound Plymouth’s plan to create a world-leading proving ground for high-tech marine innovation."Smart Sound Plymouth stretches over more than 1000km2 of ocean from sheltered bays to hostile offshore waters, providing an area for developing and demonstrating cutting-edge products and services for the marine sector. It is also home to the prestigious Western Channel Observatory, where a long-term data set, remote sensing and ecosystem modeling inform world-leadin

Damen, MO4 In Pact to Further Digitalize Offshore Wind Ops

Dutch Damen Shipyards Group has teamed up with technology firm MO4 specializing in offshore motion prediction, to take a step towards the digitalization of offshore wind farm operations. "This strategic alliance pairs Damen’s Triton monitoring platform with MO4 motion forecasting knowledge, offering data analytic-based services. Vessel operation will become more effective and safety levels will increase at the same time," Damen said.Damen Triton is a remote monitoring and operational insight tool, a connected, collaborative IoT platform that collects data from multiple sensors

Greensea, GRi Simulations Announce Partnership

Greensea Systems has partnered with GRi Simulations to develop a simulation environment for OPENSEA and OPENSEA-enabled control systems. The partners’ objective is to further develop virtual training standards that will provide operators, technicians, and other subject matter experts the experience and practice needed to be successful in critical subsea environments using OPENSEA control systems.Greensea contracted GRi to develop a back-end simulation environment for OPENSEA that provides a virtual environment constructed of custom scenes and a physics engine based on actual subsea vehicle

Kongsberg Maritime Launches new HiPAP 602 Ultra Deepwater SSBL Positioning Tool

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) launched its HiPAP 602 Ultra Deepwater SSBL (Super Short Base Line) Positioning Tool, which has been designed to provide extreme range (up to 7,000m+) and accuracy for positioning ROVs and AUVs, and to operate as a DP reference.To achieve this performance, the HiPAP 602 replaces the spherical transducer used by the HiPAP 502 with a large-diameter, multi-element planar array combined with electronic beam forming and unique signal processing techniques. This enables narrow transmitter and receiver beams to be generated in all directions within the lower half of the transducer

ROVs: Superyacht Security Success for Falcon

Another superyacht security contract win for MarineGuard sees it order another Saab Seaeye Falcon underwater robotic vehicle as part of its security resource package.As superyachts become larger and more technologically sophisticated, MarineGuard see the Falcon, with its intelligent future-flexible control technology, playing an increasing role in the growing world of superyacht security. For underwater surveillance the Falcon can be fully equipped with advanced video and sensor systems that can integrate into MarineGuard’s security network.As an underwater workhorse the Falcon is fitted with a

UCO, Gulfxstream Collaborate to Cut Subsea Inspection Cost

Viking is certified to carry 12 people and, with ample deck space, means client personnel and equipment can be onboarded for a range of mission specific tasks.Projects are envisaged to include underwater inspection of marine and renewable structures, hydrographic surveying, environmental monitoring and ocean research, search and rescue, hull inspections at sea or in port, emergency response for cable and pipeline damage identification, aquaculture survey and support, media and film production and even unique leisure experiences.In addition, it can provide UWILDs, EOD and MMO support, seabed surveys,

RBR Hires Kumhyr as VP of Sales and Marketing

Ottawa-based oceanographic instrumentation company RBR Ltd. said it has hired John Kumhyr as its new vice president of sales and marketing.Kumhyr will lead RBR’s technical sales team, focusing on global market growth and breaking into untapped markets, the company said.“A strong background, sales talent, and a highly personable leader, John will excel in this role and help take RBR to the proverbial ‘next level’,” said Greg Johnson, president of RBR.Having completed a joint honors degree in electrical engineering and business from McMaster University, Kumhyr started his

TCarta Wins NOAA Grant to Enhance Satellite Derived BathymetryTech

TCarta Marine won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), focused on enhancing Satellite Derived Bathymetry technology for application in the coastal waters of Alaska.Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB) extracts water depth measurements from multispectral satellite imagery using advanced physics-based algorithms. Traditionally, this technology has yielded the most accurate results in clear, calm waters; however, TCarta has recently taken the lead in expanding SDB applications to more challenging marine environments

Impact Subsea Hires Awaad

ROV & AUV sensor manufacturer, Impact Subsea, is announced the strengthening of its sales team with the hiring of Asser Awaad as Technical Sales Engineer.  Awaad will work to increase technical awareness of the Impact Subsea range of sensors within the underwater ROV & AUV markets. Based at the Impact Subsea headquarters in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Asser will play a key role in the company’s sales activities.Prior to joining Impact Subsea, Asser has gained significant industry experience having previously held roles of Survey Engineer and also ROV Senior pilot.

Sonardyne Deploys 'New Breed' of Subsea Sensors at Shell's Ormen Lange Field

Marine technology company Sonardyne has deployed what it says is a new breed of underwater sensor that is able to self-calibrate, enabling precise, long-duration subsidence monitoring at all depths at Shell Ormen Lange offshore field. The company says this is the first such deployment at scale.The 20-plus Fetch Ambient-Zero-Ambient (AZA) pressure monitoring transponders (PMTs), developed by Sonardyne, will support an ongoing long-term, large-scale seabed monitoring project at Ormen Lange – Norway’s second-largest gas field – for A/S Norske Shell, the company said.Unlike traditional

Kraken Secures New Subsea Batteries, Sonar Contracts and $1.5M Funding

.This is an industry unique capability of Kraken’s SAS systems. Delivery will occur in 2021," Kraken said.Furthermore, Kraken said it has been notified of $1.5 million of funding awards across two projects. Namely, Germany’s Federal Research Minister announced in February that the Ocean Technology Center, Rostock, was one of seven clusters that will receive up to a total of €450 million over nine years. The Ocean Technology Center, Rostock, is expected to receive up to a total of €45 million of this funding. As part of the Ocean Technology Center campus in Rostock

INTERVIEW: Rutgers University Uses Slocum Glider for Ocean Acidification Study

Grace Saba, Assistant Professor, Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University discusses the value of the Slocum glider and pH sensor technology in the study of Ocean Acidification. Grace, to start us off, can you just give us a short introduction of yourself and an overview of your responsibilities?I'm an assistant professor at Rutgers University: I teach, I conduct research, I serve in many roles at the university, nationally and internationally. My research focuses on the ecology and physiology of marine organisms, specifically how they

Turkish Oil Spill Response Firm Acquires Saab Seaeye ROV

Turkish oil spill response firm MOST Maritime has acquired a Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV to help with the rapid detection of hazardous substances in Turkey’s offshore waters."MOST Maritime’s emergency response team chose the remotely operated vehicle for its speedy deployment complete with cameras and multi-sensor detectors, ready to locate the incident, observe, and secure the danger," Saab Seaeye said in a statement on Friday."Easy to deploy, the Falcon’s rapid response capability makes it a vital resource for hydrocarbon leak detection where speed is essential to avoid

Canada's Ocean SuperCluster Invests in Collaboration

RBR announced significant funding from Canada's Ocean Supercluster’s Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program (AOSP) for a new project that will develop integrated ocean sensors for autonomous ocean platforms in collaboration with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Dalhousie University's Department of Oceanography (DAL).The Advancing Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors for Autonomous Platforms Project focuses on developing new sensor technologies aimed initially at the Biogeochemical (BGC) Argo program with the objectives of improving sensor stability and reducing power

Team at Purdue Advances Work on New Glider, ROUGHIE

University researchers test “ROUGHIE,” an agile underwater glider, in the diving well of Purdue’s Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center. (Purdue University photo/Jared Pike)“This is a totally unique approach,” Mahmoudian said. “Most underwater gliders can only operate in deep oceans and are not agile for confined spaces. ROUGHIE has a turning radius of only about 10 feet, compared to an approximately 33-foot turn radius of other gliders.”ROUGHIE is so maneuverable that Mahmoudian’s team has been testing it in the diving well at Purdue’s Morgan J. Burke Aquatic

Subsea LiDar Specialist Ventures into Offshore Geophysical Survey Business

3D at Depth, a company specializing in commercial Subsea LiDAR (SL) laser technology, and a provider of underwater survey services and 3D data solutions, on Tuesday announced the launch of its offshore Geophysical Survey Services division. According to 3D at Depth, the new division will provide surveys to support both nearshores, inshore, and offshore deepwater development activities focused in the areas of offshore wind farms, pipeline routes, environmental site surveys, offshore oil and gas projects, and civil engineering surveys. The firm said that its new division was supported by a team

Tech File: Enhanced Active Heave Winch Control

by the U.S. Navy and operated by the University of Hawai‘i Marine Center, built to conduct a variety of tests at sea. One of the vessel’s main activities is to carry out conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen (CTD) ‘casts’ at depths of up to 5,000 meters in the mid-Pacific Ocean. During a cast, the CTD package, weighing around 900 kilograms, is lowered from the deck of the ship into the water. In addition to sensitive pressure and temperature sensors, the package includes 24 bottles that collect water samples at various depths.In 2019, the University of Hawai‘i Marine

HydroSurv, Sonardyne in 'Transformative' USV Tech Collab for Offshore Industry

data." "Combining USVs like HydroSurv’s REAV-40 with our seabed-data-to-shore technologies promises to bring a step-change in the efficiency of asset monitoring and data gathering operations for the offshore wind industry,” says Geraint West, Global Business Manager, Oceanographic, at Sonardyne."Using USVs, which can be deployed at short notice, can vastly reduce operator logistics, emissions, risk to humans and costs and will allow operators faster access to operationally important information about their wind farms."

MacArtney Develops Advanced Telemetry System for Jasco Underwater Listening Stations

Years of development culminated in a MacArtney telemetry concept measuring and transmitting individual noise profiles for complex acoustic data tracking to help preserve and recover one of Canada's most iconic species - the Southern Resident Killer Whale.Under the Canadian Species at Risk Act, the Southern Resident Killer Whale was recently concluded to be facing an approaching threat to survival and recovery. At Boundary Pass in the Salish Sea, an enhanced monitoring project provides an underwater sound picture of the Southern Resident Killer Whale's habitat, consequently rendering the most

DLM Delivers Monitoring Systems for Offshore Wind Farm Cables

UK-based Dynamic Load Monitoring (DLM), said Monday it has built two bespoke monitoring systems that have been installed by dive teams on subsea bend stiffeners at an offshore wind farm.The equipment has been commissioned, with the first round of data due to be collected in March 2021.The company, based in Southampton, said the products were delivered to Darlington, UK-based Subsea Innovation, a manufacturer of subsea equipment, which was challenged by the end-user to provide a system to prevent array cables— which connect the site’s turbines together—from breaking. DLM did not say

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

Valeport launches new sensors for subsea survey

Valeport launched two new sensors for ROVs/AUVs and subsea survey.The new miniIPS2 and new uvSVX, which both offer operationally specific interchangeable pressure transducers that deliver enhanced accuracy for specific depth ranges. These field-swappable sensor heads make it easy for users to select the correct pressure range for their work and offer increased accuracy at any depth, alongside streamlining benefits to users who previously required different instruments for shallow and deep water. The smart miniIPS2 underwater pressure sensor has an accuracy to 0.01%. Key to the design is the

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

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

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

Change of Management for Nortek

After over two decades at the helm of Nortek, a specialist in oceanographic instrumentation, Atle Lohrmann is taking on new challenges at newly started Hefring Engineering in Boston. Nortek’s new CEO, Finn Ivar Marum, has been entrusted with the task of ensuring Nortek’s continued growth.Nortek was established in 1996, when Atle Lohrmann set up offices outside Oslo, Norway, and started building up production capacity for Doppler instrumentation.Since then, Nortek has grown rapidly, with its revenues increasing from $985,000 in 1996 to $24.6 million in 2018. Many factors lie behind the

OPT Announces PB3 PowerBuoy Contracts

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTT), a leader in innovative ocean energy solutions, has announced the signing of two new contracts with Enel Green Power Chile (EGP), a subsidiary of Enel Chile, part of the Enel Group, a multinational energy company and a leading global integrated electricity and gas operator. The combined value of the contracts exceeds US$1.9 million and includes the sale of a PB3 PowerBuoy and the development and supply of a state-of-the-art, turn-key integrated Open Sea Lab that will be OPT’s first deployment off the coast of Chile.The first contract with Enel

Teledyne Optech Introduces Galaxy T2000

Teledyne Optech, a Teledyne Technologies [NYSE:TDY] company, and leader in lidar sensing has announced the next evolution of its Galaxy platform, the Galaxy T2000. A compact lidar-mapping sensor, the Galaxy T2000 provides a unique feature set for maximum collection efficiency and point density, and is the next step in the evolution of modern aerial surveying. Coupled with a new G2 mounting system, the Galaxy T2000 leverages its compact size to co-mount two sensors over a single aircraft portal, making it quite simply the most flexible commercial lidar system on the market today.The Galaxy T2000

RBR Order to Support Great Lakes RAEON

Scientists have started a coordinated effort to study and monitor the health of the Great Lakes using a large number of RBR loggers and multiparameter sensors.RBR has recently delivered hundreds of world-class scientific instruments to meet the critical requirements of the Real-time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON).“RAEON will support comprehensive and multidisciplinary research to understand and manage the Great Lakes and will be a reference for researchers worldwide who are investigating freshwater ecosystems,” Dr. Fisk said.“This collaborative hub will enable researcher

Silicon Sensing Unveils New MEMS IMU

Silicon Sensing Systems  will launch a new high performance all-MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU), AMU30, at Sensors Expo this month. AMU30 is the company’s first IMU to combine high performance motion sensing with full attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) capabilities.  Based upon the DMU30, the AMU30 is designed to respond to growing demand for a tactical grade, non-ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) IMU that also outputs pitch, roll and heading data. The AMU30 is a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) product offering a real alternative to heavier