MTR100: Five "Ones to Watch"
of 2019 and beyond. For the full edition, see https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/Blue Logic: Entering a new eraCompletely new modes of operation are entering the underwater domain for oil and gas operations and the tools that are being used could also be used across the ocean space.It’s been called a subsea space race – and it is a little like a Mars mission, with similar communications challenges and questions around power supplies. Various players are working to make it happen. The idea is to have subsea resident vehicles, eliminating the need for manned
MTR100: Kongsberg Maritime
Kongsberg MaritimeHorten, NorwayPresident/CEO: Egil HaugsdalNo. of Employees: 11,000www.kongsberg.com/maritimeKongsberg Maritime’s subsea portfolio includes everything from underwater robots and transponders to hydroacoustic sonar systems and cloud-based infrastructure for data storage and analysis. The company’s subsea portfolio includes single and multibeam echo sounders, sonars, underwater vehicles and subsea transponders and positioning systems, in addition to software and solutions for defense customers. In line with other marine sectors, Kongsberg Maritime is also at the forefront
Saab Seaeye's Falcon for Ocean Research
A Saab Seaeye Falcon electric underwater robotic vehicle is to help support a network of oceanographic and atmospheric sensors that are part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) transforming ocean research.Funded by the National Science Foundation, the overall OOI program is managed by Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The moored, mobile autonomous, and cabled sensors provide real-time data access to address critical issues such as climate change, ecosystem variability, ocean acidification, and carbon cycling. The observatory consists of:The Coastal & Global
Subsea Network Repaired in the North Sea
Faulty elements in the subsea network within the Greater Guillemot Area field were diagnosed and replaced within 24 hours of the start of a recent fault-finding campaign, subsea testing tools manufacturer C-Kore Systems said.The GGA area in the UK North Sea is operated by Dana Petroleum with partner Tailwind.C-Kore’s compact Cable Monitor Units are used on fault-finding operations and installation campaigns to test the health of electrical lines by measuring the insulation resistance and electrical continuity. With their Subsea TDR units, faults can be localized with an accuracy of 10cm in the
MTR100: #4 Martin McDonald , SVP, Oceaneering
Martin McDonald , SVP, Oceaneering ... Directing the world’s largest fleet of work class ROVs.The editors of Marine Technology Reporter are pleased to share that Martin McDonald, Oceaneering, is #4 in the 14th Annual "MTR100". The full electronic edition of Marine Technology Reporter is available at https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/. Oceaneering is a pioneer and leader in the world of subsea robotics, and a ‘by the numbers’ look at the company provides a staggering view. Oceaneering operates a fleet of 275 work class ROVs – the
New Autonomous Vehicle for Offshore Wind Surveys
vessel is propelled by a rigid wing sail while the LiDAR, navigation, and communication systems are powered by deck and sail mounted solar panels and large batteries.In addition, standard integration interfaces enable broad flexibility in sensor payload and survey types such as standard meteorological ocean, bathymetric and hydrographic, current and wave characteristics, avian and marine mammal detection, and alerting.Over the last 18 months, Equinor and AMS have conducted studies and built prototypes to test the system. These have shown dramatic improvements in lead time, cost and areal coverage versus
ARES Security Launches Seaport Platform
US-based ARES Security Corporation has rolled out a new multi-tenant, Software as a Service (SaaS) solution for seaports in the US.The is now offering their Avert C2 (formally CommandBridge) system as a SaaS platform for small and medium sized ports to leverage the powerful capability that has been used by more than a third of the of the largest seaports in the U.S. since 2006, said a press release from the company.The solution is also deployed at several law enforcement, transportation, DoD and other facilities throughout the country.AVERT C2 is a command and control platform that integrates disparate
Bluefin-9 Simplifies Underwater Planning & Monitoring
The Bluefin Operator Tool Suite is a comprehensive software package for underwater missions and is included with the purchase of a Bluefin-9 UUV. This Windows-based tool suite provides everything necessary to run and manage the system, including vehicle check-out and testing, mission planning, vehicle communications, mission monitoring and execution, data management, and post-mission analysis.Mission Planning & VerificationThe Bluefin Mission Planner graphical tool provides an intuitive interface to pre-plan your survey mission. Operators can specify safety settings, operational constraints
MTR100: #1 Wendy Schmidt
The editors of Marine Technology Reporter are pleased to share that Wendy Schmidt, Schmidt Ocean Institute & Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, has taken the top spot in the 14th Annual "MTR100". The full print and electronic edition of Marine Technology Reporter will be available shortly. Until then, presented here is the full story on Wendy Schmidt and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.According to Wendy Schmidt, we live in a pivotal time that requires us to reexamine humanity’s relationship with the ocean. In a fast-paced and changing world, Mrs. Schmidt has emerged as an unlikely
World First: Saildrone Circumnavigates Antarctica
long, wind-powered unmanned surface vehicle (USV) called a saildrone has become the first unmanned system to circumnavigate Antarctica.The vehicle, known as SD 1020, was equipped with a suite of climate-grade sensors and collected data in previously unchartered waters, enabling new key insights into ocean and climate processes.The 196-day mission was launched from Southport in Bluff, New Zealand, on January 19, 2019, returning to the same port on August 3 after sailing over 22,000 km (13,670 miles) around Antarctica. During the mission, the vehicle survived freezing temperatures, 15-meter (50-foot)
Sonsub Hydrone-R Launched in Water
On July 1, Saipem-Sonsub’s Hydrone-R underwater intervention drone was launched in water to start the endurance and qualification tests prior to its commercialization by year’s end.The Hydrone Program is the key workstream of Saipem’s Technology Development Plan within subsea robotics; a strategic move aimed at changing the paradigm of underwater inspections and interventions via a fleet of next-generation drones and advanced ancillary equipment.The Hydrone program, entirely executed by the Sonsub center, encompasses three vehicles, namely Hydrone-R, Hydrone-S and Hydrone-W (link)
WFS Appoints Darroch as CTO
Continuing their ambitious growth plans for 2019, global provider of disruptive wireless subsea internet of things technology, WFS Technologies, has appointed a new Chief Technology Officer to drive its evolving product portfolio and software development roadmap.Jim Darroch has been appointed CTO to own the company’s product vision and roadmap, and to expand the product engineering team to meet growing client demands for its existing product range.WFS allows operators to monitor subsea infrastructures with their patented Seatooth real-time and edge computing sensors that view, detect, measure
Oil Spill Data for Internet-enabled Devices
Global marine monitoring systems manufacturers Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) can provide oil spill monitoring data and alarms directly to internet-enabled devices from any location with GSM/GPRS or satellite coverage.The non-contact oil spill monitoring systems can be terrestrial or aquatic (using moored floating buoy platforms or fixed stations in shallow waters), and individual sensors can be networked together to cover multiple locations, with a single secure login to view all data.The sensors are equipped with a pulsed UV LED beam and optical photo-detector with on-board software to
#Oi2020 History: ROV D2
created for industrial use--such as internal and external underwater pipeline inspections--ROVs have become a mainstay within underwater exploration, as well as many other scientific applications. To continue the research and technology within this area of subsea development, NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) in 2013 introduced a new ROV, the Deep Discoverer, or “D2.” The ROV, (also known as D2) which operates from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, is unique in that it is one of the few ROVs capable of diving to 3.7 miles (6,000 meters). Measuring 10 x 6.5 x 8
New Multibeam Sonar Package Unveiled
The new WASSP F3X professional multibeam sonar package developed by ENL Group, majority-owned by Furuno Electric Company, is designed for for fisherman and mariners who need the ability to see deep into the ocean.The WMB4340 and WMB6340, both available from Furuno, provide superior target detection of fish in the water column, track fish targets deeper than ever before, and allow navigators and surveyors to map the seabed and structure below with confidence, the company said.WASSP F3X penetrates the water in a 120˚ swath with 224 individual beams. Its higher output power provides a nearly 50% increase
RTSYS Debuts Micro-AUV NemoSens
French acoustics specialist RTSYS has launched its latest versatile micro autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) NemoSens, designed to perform numerous civil applications such as seabed imagery, environmental monitoring or wreckage localization.Unveiled after years of development, the flexible new AUV is small (less than 1 meter long) and is easy to carry and launch (less than 20 pounds including payload). Micro-AUV NemoSens can host any kind of payload, be it a CTD probe, sidescan sonar or any other sensors. Thanks to an open LINUX architecture it can be programmed from a ROS or MOOS interface to
Kraken's OceanVision Moving Ahead
Kraken Robotics' OceanVision marine technology development project will move forward with conditional approval – and millions in funding – from Canada's Ocean Supercluster.The three-year, $20 million project is being spearheaded by Kraken subsidiary Kraken Robotic Systems and is focused on the development of new technologies and products to enable an underwater robotics data acquisition and data analytics as a turnkey service solution for ultra-high definition seafloor imaging, mapping and analytics, including simultaneous acquisition of ocean environmental and marine habitat data.
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
Shearwater Wins Tyra Shoot
The geoservices company Shearwater GeoServices announced it has been awarded a 4D seismic survey by Total to be conducted this summer offshore Denmark.The survey will be conducted by Shearwater’s SW Amundsen vessel at the Tyra, Tyra SE and Roar Fields.Total has selected Shearwater’s multi-sensor Isometrix acquisition system, according to a press release from Shearwater.
Borstad Receives Val Shaw Memorial Award
with all types of remote sensing data, but has played an important national and international role in the development of hyperspectral sensors and applications. He began using an airborne spectrometer in 1978 to map solar-stimulated fluorescence from phytoplankton with Dr. Jim Gower at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He and the Borstad team later helped design and develop the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager and have since worked with six generations of imaging spectrometers.Dr. Borstad’s work began with marine, fisheries and ecological applications but has also included vessel detection
New Tech for Wind Blade Inspections
Drones and crawling robots outfitted with special scanning technology could help wind blades stay in service longer, which may help lower the cost of wind energy at a time when blades are getting bigger, pricier and harder to transport, Sandia National Laboratories researchers say.As part of the Department of Energy’s Blade Reliability Collaborative work, funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office, Sandia researchers partnered with energy businesses to develop machines that noninvasively inspect wind blades for hidden damage while being faster and more detailed than traditional inspections
Currents Not Linked to New England Sea Level
There is no direct link between major North Atlantic ocean currents and sea level along the coast of northeastern United States, according to a recent study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).The study, published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, examined both the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)—a conveyor belt of currents that move warmer waters north and cooler waters south in the Atlantic—and historical records of sea level in coastal New England.“Scientists had previously noticed that if the AMOC is stronger
BHGE Opens Subsea Center of Excellence
Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) has opened its transformed Center of Excellence (CoE) facility in Montrose, Scotland to deliver engineering, manufacturing, test and assembly and services to advance deepwater technology for its customers.The upgraded and expanded campus, which sits on more than 35 acres, was officially opened on Tuesday during an inauguration ceremony with Scottish Minister for Energy, Paul Wheelhouse, as well as BHGE customers and employees. The expansion represents a £31 million ($39.2 million) investment by BHGE and was supported by a £4.9 million ($6.2 million) grant
Making the Great Barrier Reef’s 3D Habitat Map
The mapping project, ‘3D live habitats for the full extent of the Great Barrier Reef,’ will provide maps of the predicted coral types and underwater landscape for the more than 3,000 reefs within the 350,000 sq. km of the GBR.EOMAP's technology provides essential data for this world-first project, in which the University of Queensland (UQ), Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science are partners.The resulting maps will be at an unprecedented 10m horizontal grid resolution and reveal bathymetry (water depth), geomorphic zones and bottom types
Poland Employs New Seismic Tech
The Polish state-controlled oil and gas company PGNiG said that its geophysical services provider Geofizyka Toruń SA became the first company in Europe to employ new seismic data acquisition technologies in searching for hydrocarbon deposits.The Polish oil and gas company said in a press release that the company is replacing the hitherto used cabled geophone networks with ultra-lightweight wireless nodal sensors. Their small size and low weight allow to conduct exploration with no harm to the natural environment and local communities.Seismic surveys are an important part of hydrocarbon exploration.
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
NORBIT DCT – Hydrographic Survey Made Easy
. That ranges from safety of navigation pro-jects, through dredging and various construction and environmental projects like habitat mapping and bottom classification. It crosses commercial markets as well as government and public agencies. These developments extend widely throughout the world from oceans and lakes to rivers, in-land reservoirs, port, channels and man-made basins. With the technology being easier and cheaper to use, the number of applications and use cases has increased dramatically in recent years. Especially an urgent need for integrated simple-to-use mapping and imaging hydrography
A New USV for Ocean Surveying
A new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for the Chinese market offers an open and low-cost platform to measure water current and direction. Nortek China has integrated Doppler instrumentation on the vehicle to help better meet user requirements for ocean surveying.The new USV has an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) as the main operation platform and uses Remote Desktop, a remote control technique, to communicate with all the instruments installed. This means that the vehicle offers an open and low-cost platform for customers who need to carry out several different tasks at the same time.
Kongsberg Inks First Deal for HUGIN Superior
Kongsberg Maritime reports it has signed the first contract for the new HUGIN Superior 6,000-meter rated autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).According to its manufacturer, the HUGIN Superior, introduced to the market in December 2018, is engineered to provide significantly enhanced data, positioning and endurance capabilities while building on the proven track record of the HUGIN AUVs. The complete AUV system will be delivered in DNV certified offshore containers along with a portable version of Kongsberg’s HiPAP 502 acoustic positioning system for easy mobilization onboard vessels of opportunity.
US Navy to Evaluate Kraken's AquaPix MINSAS
The U.S. Navy will evaluate Kraken sensors for man-portable autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) under a recently awarded $900,000 contract.Canadian-based Kraken Robotics Inc. announced Monday that its subsidiary Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. has been selected by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, Comparative Test Office, to participate in a Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program in support of a U.S. Navy Program of Record managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command, EOD Program Office. The FCT is designed to test selected foreign technologies as evaluated by U.S. military operators, with a
Offshore Survey Vessels: Ready for Faster Sensors
without risk to humans and with less margin for human error. Fast forward 10 years, now in the role as CEO of LeeWay Marine, I am again evaluating robots, but from the perspective of finding a commercial solution that offers a competitive edge.LeeWay owns and operates survey vessels from the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. COVE is one of several ocean technology hubs in Atlantic Canada (Canada’s four eastern-most provinces including Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick) and, therefore, we are immersed
iXblue Wins OWF Survey in France
from Belle-Île. These turbines, with a unit capacity of 6 megawatts (MW).Each 180-meter-tall wind turbine has three 75-meter blades, capturing the force of the wind on a surface of 17,000 square meters. The floats on which the wind turbines are installed are specifically designed to adapt to the oceanic conditions of the Groix & Belle-Île site.The wind farm is slated to be commissioned in 2021
Kraken Tallies $2.1 Million KATFISH Order
by the U.S. Navy to see the future of naval technology in action today.Karl Kenny, Kraken’s President and CEO, said, “Seafloor mapping is one of the oldest professions known to humankind. For thousands of years, mariners have been measuring the seabed under their vessels. Today’s ocean surveying market is valued at over US$3 billion per year. Kraken’s customers have requested a high speed, ultra-high resolution seabed mapping solution that leverages our sensor and robotics technology. With KATFISH, surveyors can now increase the quantity of seafloor data, significantly improve
Robotics: The Next Gen in Subsea Vehicles
are inspiring a new generation of underwater systems and vehicles. Elaine Maslin takes a look.The list of applicants to enter the underwater domain is growing fast. The concepts vary, from underwater autonomous motherships able to carry an array of payloads over long distances to swarms of drop deployed ocean bottom nodes that can find their way to pre-programmed locations.At energy:connected, as the Oslo-based Subsea Valley cluster and annual conference is now called, some of these concepts were outlined, including those from two Norwegian technology firms and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp, a firm more
Robotic Data Help Explain Mysterious Holes
The winter ice on the surface of Antarctica's Weddell Sea occasionally develops an enormous hole. In 2016 and 2017, one such hole drew intense curiosity from scientists and the media.Though bigger gaps had formed decades before, this was the first time oceanographers had a chance to truly monitor the unexpected gap in Antarctic winter sea ice. It was an opportunity that came about as a result of uncanny timing and a seasoned oceanographer’s knowledge of the sea.A new study co-authored by researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego combines
Kraken Sets Up Unmanned Vehicles Facility
Robotics Inc. subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. said it has established a new facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to field test and support its range of underwater robotic platforms and technologies.The new 4,000-square-foot Unmanned Maritime Vehicles Facility (UMVF) is located at the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), a marine technologies innovation hub.Kraken said its Handling Systems Group has already moved into the new location and will continue to build the firm’s Tentacle Winch and Autonomous Launch and Recovery Systems there. The facility will also be used to
Silicon Sensing Expands MEMS Foundry in Japan
Silicon Sensing Systems is to expand its MEMS foundry in Japan, moving into a new purpose-built facility, allowing the company to meet significantly increased demand for its MEMS inertial sensors and sputtered thin film PZT MEMS device wafers.The new facility will increase floorspace to 3,000m2, immediately more than doubling current wafer throughput and delivering scope for a five-fold increase in output over the next five years, in line with current market growth predictions. To keep up with the volume and price pressures in the thin film PZT MEMS sector Silicon Sensing is already expanding
BAE Systems Acquires Riptide
BAE Systems, Inc. has announced the purchase of the key assets of Riptide Autonomous Solutions, a Plymouth, Mass.-based provider of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology and solutions.Specializing in small UUVs, Riptide’s platforms are deigned to be sophisticated yet simple, efficient and highly flexible, offering performance discriminators within this domain that include greater depth, range, endurance and speed.“Adding Riptide's technological capabilities will position us to provide customers unmatched flexibility by offeringa family of UUVs and integrated payload solutionscapab
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Winner Annouced
The GEBCO NF- Alumni Team was announced as the $4 million grand prize winner of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a three-year global competition that challenged teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous and unmanned, fast and high-resolution ocean exploration. The team's winning concept includes the use of a unique unmanned surface vessel (USV) / autonomous underwater vessel (AUV) and associated combination of communications hardware and software to process and transmit data remotely. The SEA-KIT USV, Maxlimer, built by Hushcraft in the UK, has a unique ability to launch and
WFS Unveils Riser Monitoring System
New solutions unveiled Thursday by WFS Technologies aim to tackle the real-time monitoring of offshore risers both above and below surface, on fixed structures including jackets and braces.The new Seatooth Assure Riser Monitor products allow for the measurement of 9-axis motion (vibration, orientation), local analytics and the reporting of real-time information through the water-air boundary with WFS’ patented Seatooth technology; a first of its kind for the industry, the Scotland-based subsea technology company said.Seatooth communicates through the water-air boundary removing the need for
Nortek Opens Australian Office
extend its reach throughout Australia and New Zealand, an area that has been important for the company since it was founded over two decades ago.The team currently consists of Yarran Crichton and Harry Hughes: Yarran Crichton, Director of Nortek Australia, has many years’ experience of working with oceanographic equipment, collaborating closely with Nortek on product deployment and development. He has proven to be a valuable asset with a strong technical knowledge, offering high-level advice from a technical sales and support perspective.Harry Hughes, Sales Engineer, recently joined the team and
Remote-Controlled Submersible Fish Farm in Arctic Ocean
Digital technology leader ABB has won a contract from Arctic Offshore Farming to power its first-ever remote controlled submersible offshore salmon farm in the Arctic Ocean.ABB will provide a comprehensive package of its leading electrical, automation, instrumentation and telecom technologies that ensure maximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact.With the global market volume of salmon expected to hit 4.5 million tons by 2023, according to a 2018 report by Research and Markets, the Arctic Offshore Farming project is looking for ways to farm fish in a more sustainable manner.The submerged fish
DOLPHIN: Enabling Technology for Acoustic Systems
, the state of the art technology has been limited to half-duplex signals: transmit with the receiver off and then turn the transmitter off and receiver on and wait to receive, because the direct transmission at the source saturates the receiver electronics if they are enabled simultaneously. Ocean physics are fixed, but DOLPHIN technology enables true full-duplex acoustic telemetry. It cancels the transmit signal at the receiver in real-time. This eliminates receiver self-signal saturation and enables simultaneous transmitting and receiving on the same frequency, with collocated
Partners Set Out to Cut Offshore Emissions
Norwegian partners Kongsberg Maritime, DOF, SINTEF Ocean and NORCE have set out to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for complex offshore operations, while streamlining fleet-wide maintenance.Enabled through sponsorship and support from Innovation Norway, the partnership will develop a sophisticated new Decision Support System (DSS) for offshore vessel operations. This new predictive, intelligent, and dynamic guidance tool will act as the foundation for DOF to simplify operational complexity with objective measurement, ultimately enabling optimal utilization and more sustainable
French Frigate Sonars Get an Upgrade
Since summer 2017, four vessels equipped with analog sonars have been upgraded using RTsys AS3i technology (Analog Surface Ship Sonar Improvement), which digitalized and improved the processing of signals rendered by sensors.Brittany-based company RTSYS does not only deals with AUV, subsea recorders and buoys, but can also display a full range of sonar systems such as handheld devices for divers or sonar retrofit. The latter of which led the French SME to lately offer in summer 2017 its services to the French Navy by upgrading analogue sonars on four frigates.In accordance with the ACORES public
Unheard Underwater: Covert Communications
Technology that has helped to achieve world firsts in ocean exploration broadcasting could also provide the answer for covert operations in the defense realm, where communications need to go unheard. Traditionally, wireless subsea communications use acoustic signals. Sound is practical, because it travels further through water than electromagnetic waves. Using sound, information can be shared over many km. Unfortunately, it is also relatively easy to hear those sounds and target the source using passive sensors; including when beyond the actual range at which the signals are effective. For
WFS Launches Subsea Wireless Edge Network
WFS Technologies Limited (WFS) unveiled what it claims is the world’s first subsea wireless edge network for real-time monitoring of subsea assets.ExtremeEdge was developed to process and analyze the raw data at the sensor level, thus reducing information overheads by transmitting only the data needed to downstream solutions in real-time rather than all sensor data collected.In addition, by deploying a number of ExtremeEdge-enabled sensors, WFS has created the first subsea network designed to operate wirelessly. Traditionally, most solutions operate by individual sensor only, and not as a
Sonardyne Equips Latest Oceaneering Vehicles
Sonardyne announced Tuesday it has received an order from Oceaneering International to provide hybrid navigation systems for its subsea resident vehicles Freedom and E-ROV. The two resident vehicle systems are to be fitted with Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav an all-in-one navigational instrument. SPRINT-Nav combines a SPRINT INS sensor, Syrinx 600 kHz DVL (Doppler velocity log) and a high accuracy intelligent pressure sensor in a single unit, Sonardyne said.Oceaneering’s E-ROV has already proven the ability for battery powered remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) working in the oil and gas
DNVGL: New Mooring Line Solution for Offshore Ops
DNV GL has developed a solution that is designed to reduce the risk of offshore floating vessel mooring line failure going undetected by replacing physical sensors with a machine learning algorithm that accurately predicts line failure in real time.The Norwegean company's Smart Mooring solution addresses growing industry concern about the high frequency of mooring line failure, and a vessel’s subsequent loss of station. Over the past two decades, more than 20 incidents have been reported globally involving failure of permanent mooring systems on floating structures.In the most severe cases
Modus Acquires Second Sabertooth HAUV
UK-based underwater vehicle services company Modus Seabed Intervention has agreed with Saab Seaeye to buy its second Sabertooth hybrid autonomous underwater vehicle (HAUV).The 3,000-meter rated Sabertooth will be equipped with extended autonomous endurance and increased thrust for high speed survey and ready for the integration of advanced and high-resolution sensors for different types of applications and operations.Modus has been increasing the capability of its HAUV fleet and, following trials in 2017, its existing HAUV was ready for commercial operations in 2018. Trials included launching the HAUV
New, High-Performing USV for Ocean Surveying
A new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for the Chinese market offers an open and low-cost platform to measure water current and direction. Nortek China has integrated Doppler instrumentation on the vehicle to help better meet user requirements for ocean surveying.The new USV has an IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) as the main operation platform and uses Remote Desktop, a remote control technique, to communicate with all the instruments installed. This means that the vehicle offers an open and low-cost platform for customers who need to carry out several different tasks at the same time.
WFS Tackles Subsea Challenges with SIoT
Technology to enhance operational effectiveness, while reducing risk and preventing interruption to pipeline production has been developed by Subsea Internet of Things specialist WFS Technologies.The patented Seatooth PipeLogger is an integrated pipeline, umbilical, risers and flowlines temperature monitoring and data transfer solution that can provide real-time monitoring for offshore and subsea assets. It has been previously used to reduce the risk and operational costs associated with coiled tube fatigue, producing savings of over £1 million in one installation alone.More widely, this technolog
Efficient Wave-Generated Power … Really!
production is officially 'hot', as a number of engineering advances and government subsidies have conspired to help deploy, test, and prove in real-world conditions the viability of various systems. While solar and wind power have jumped out as early leaders, there is a renewed push to turn ocean wave power into a viable, renewable source of power and stored energy. A new entrant is SurfWEC LLC, which is aiming to become the 'go to' in the wave energy category, both as a stand-alone system and as added power source, energy storage, and wave damping units co-located with existing or
Canada's New Observatory Uses 'Seafloor GPS'
to monitor long-term movements of the subducting Juan de Fuca plate and overriding North American tectonic plate. Data gathered by the new observatory will play a critical role in informing assessments of earthquake and tsunami risk to the large populations of the Pacific North-West.The NCSZO is led by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC)—an initiative of the University of Victoria—and is made possible through cooperation of international partners that include Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) scientists at the Pacific Geoscience Center and David Chadwell from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The Great Barrier Reef: 3D Habitat Map
International aquatic remote sensing company EOMAP will showcase its unique contribution to the world-first 3D habitat map of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) at the International Forum on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry, SDB Day 2019, next month in Australia.The mapping project, ‘3D live habitats for the full extent of the Great Barrier Reef’, will provide, for the first time, maps of the predicted coral types and underwater landscape for the more than 3,000 reefs within the 350,000 km2 of the GBR.EOMAP's cutting edge technology provides essential data for this revolutionary project, in
FarSounder Acquires Japanese Patent
FarSounder, a leader in 3D forward-looking sonar, has announced the issuance of their fifth patent.It was issued by the Japanese Patent Office, one of the largest in the world. This patent relates to their invention of integrated sonar devices and methods and is FarSounder's first issued in Japan."Since 2004, FarSounder has delivered reliable navigation to vessel operators. With this invention, we expand upon our innovative navigation tool. This technology will help assure our IP as we expand our product lines into new applications and markets." Says Matthew Zimmerman, VP of Engineering
Ashtead Acquires Aqua-Tech Solutions
Ashtead Technology announced Wednesday it has acquired Louisiana based subsea equipment rental and cutting services specialist, Aqua-Tech Solutions.According to Ashtead Technology, the combined business will offer clients in the Gulf of Mexico region a more robust and enhanced offering, allowing more timely and cost-effective access to the group’s full range of equipment and services from locations in Broussard and Houma, La.Ashtead Technology said the acquisition strengthens its remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and mechanical tooling offering, broadening its survey sensor rental fleet.
Valeport Launches New Environmental Range
Valeport has launched a new Enviromental range of optical sensors.Hyperion Turbidity – A standalone turbidity sensor with such a small footprint to combine Nephelometer and OBS readings in the same instrument. Created for inshore, coastal and oceanographic monitoring, this new sensor delivers a minimum detection level of just 0.03 NTU (nephelometer) and can measure turbidity up to 6,000 NTU (OBS). The titanium housing, data output up to 16Hz and low power requirements ensures this sensor can be placed in situ for extended periods with easy access to highly accurate data.SWiFTplus
Tappan Zee Constructors ‘See’ Below the Hudson
With Trimble Marine Construction Systems and Teledyne Marine Imaging, bridge deconstruction projects can now have pinpoint accuracy.The Project @ a GlanceCustomer Profile: Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC is a consortium – including Fluor Enterprises, Inc., American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc., and Traylor Bros., Inc. – that was hired to design and build the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, one of the largest single design-build contracts for a bridge project in the United States. The project was started in January of 2013 and, after a phased opening that
Export Licensing: Tips U.S. Exporters Shouldn’t Overlook
Each year, the U.S. Department of Commerce receives thousands of inquiries from businesses looking to export, many of which involve licensing questions. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), together with other USG agencies, is responsible for export licensing and controls. BIS export licenses may be required for items (commodities, software, or technology) with proliferation, military, or terrorist uses, or which warrant control for other reasons. Export licensing requirements can apply to a wide array of products, including marine technologies. A license may
