Track Cables and Pipelines with an AUV
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can now be prepared for cable and pipeline tracking missions using survey tool Smartrak from U.K. based INNOVATUM Ltd. The company designs, manufactures and operates compact, low-powered magnetic cable and pipeline tracking systems. INNOVATUM said recent tests have successfully demonstrated fully autonomous passive magnetic tracking of a submarine cable by AUV, using Smartrak. INNOVATUM has released the AUV data protocol for a standard communications format between Innovatum Smartrak and AUVs. The data protocol allows operators and AUV manufacturer
Underwater Vehicles Conference Set for November
The latest subsea technologies and adaptations developed in response to increasingly challenging market conditions will be among the topics under the spotlight at Subsea UK’s 2017 Underwater Vehicles Conference set for November 21 in Aberdeen. Formerly known as the Subsea UK ROV Conference, the event will welcome experts from across the industry to discuss a range of subjects including the global cost challenges, sustainability and efficiency improvements, as well as market drivers and restraints. Recent market research revealed that the underwater vehicle market is expected to
Acoustic Technology Aids Search for Downed Helicopter
Marine Institute to assist with the initial search for the wreckage. This included the Scout USBL system which was mobilized on a local fishing vessel and onsite within four hours of the institute’s team arriving. The system is typically used for tracking divers, ROVs and underwater vehicles in waters up to 1,000 metres, and is designed to be operated from virtually any type of vessel, small or large. Scout is portable, quick to setup and easy to use making it ideal for short underwater surveys and operations. Following a three hour search, the Scout picked up the first
Research Vessels: The Fleet is In
A wave of new and innovative research vessels are set to help scientists enhance their understanding of the oceans. MTR profiles several of these ships currently in designe and construction across the globe. RRS Sir David Attenborough The U.K.’s new polar research ship rose to fame when Boaty McBoatface took the internet by storm as the leading vote getter in an online naming contest. The U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) eventually chose to call the ship RRS Sir David Attenborough, a name better fit for a $256 million high-tech research ship (though the Boaty
Baltic Pipe Route Survey in the North Sea
MMT has been awarded a contract by the Danish energy transmission system operator Energinet as part of the Baltic Pipe project. The assignment includes a route survey for a new offshore pipeline in the North Sea and in Lillebælt, the inner Danish Seas. The pipeline is planned to have landfall on the west coast of Jutland and the total length of the North Sea offshore part of the pipeline is approximately 105km, the Lillebælt area is approximately 5 km . The entire route is located within the Danish EEZ and the scope includes geophysical seabed survey, geotechnical investigations
Sonar Technology to Be Used to Detect Sharks in the US
A state-of-the-art sonar system first developed and deployed by Shark Mitigation Systems (SMS) in Australia is now being recommended for use in Southern California, where an increase in the shark population has been observed. While shark attacks in California are rare (there have been 177 documented shark incidents in California since 1950, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife), the number of shark sightings has been on the rise. Some of the predators on the western U.S. coastline can measure up to 12 feet in length, posing a threat to surfers and beachgoers. In
ScanFish ROTV Sensor Payload Expanded by 700%
Designed to function as platform for subsea sensors, the EIVA ScanFish remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV) comes standard with a maximum sensor payload of 50 kg. But a design upgrade was needed when marine geophysical-geotechnical service delivery specialist PanGeo Subsea contacted EIVA to discuss the possibility of using the ScanFish together with its Sub-Bottom Imager (SBI) unit, which weighs 300 kg. The EIVA R&D team took up the challenge in May 2017. Four months later, a ScanFish XL was introduced at the EIVA Days Denmark 2017. The ROTV itself measures 4.33x2.73x2.77 meters. It
Swathe Services to Represent Planck Aerosystems in the UK
Swathe Services said it has entered into an agency agreement with Planck Aerosystems to represent the San Diego based autonomous drone company in the U.K. Planck Aerosystems is a drone company that enables autonomous operations from moving vehicles on land or at sea. The company’s specialized Shearwater unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed in a matter of minutes, with minimal user training and experience. With powerful onboard computing capabilities, long range digital communications and intelligent computer vision software the Planck solution provides a safer, faster
GMG Acquires Fugro’s Trenching, Cable Laying Business
, power and oil and gas market segments. The acquisition of Fugro’s trenching and cable laying business provides added high-end capabilities that strengthen its service offering. The transaction involves the transfer of the vessel Fugro Symphony, two trenchers and two work class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as well as 23 employees located in Aberdeen. Ian Douglas, CEO of Global Marine Group, said, “I am looking forward to welcoming the Aberdeen based trenching team to our corporate family and growing our asset and capabilities base. As we continue to carefully build and
Seaweed: Fuel of the Future?
Scientists envision a future where fuel made from seaweed grown at large-scale offshore farms will be used to provide green power for homes and vehicles. Now with help from U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding, researchers are working toward making that scenario a reality. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) received $5.7 million from ARPA-E's Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) Program for two projects that have set out to develop tools and technology to advance the mass production of seaweed for
First Ever USV-supported Cable Route Survey
For the first time ever, a seabed cable route survey has been performed with support from an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The survey route included various water depths and strong currents, while facing difficult wind and sea conditions in the Bering Sea offshore Alaska. The project was mobilized immediately following a 9,000km nautical charting survey by Terrasond, of which 4,750km (53 percent) was executed by an ASV Global C-Worker 5 autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). The cable route survey required a new payload including a hull mounted multibeam sonar, a sub-bottom profiler, and a towed
Marine Technology Reporter - October 2017 Edition
The October 2017 edition of Marine Technology Reporter is now available – in print, and online. This edition includes features on: The sophisticated technology used to find and explore the long-lost USS Indianapolis Deep-sea mining: the promises of subsea riches pose a threat to subsea environments Unmanned forces: building a multi-domain autonomous fleet Aerial drones improve safety and performance offshore The Arctic “Roomba”: new technologies for recovering oil spills in icy waters Read
Connor Joins Kraken Board
Command. He served as commander of U.S. submarine forces from September 2012 until September 2015. Vice Admiral Connor led the U.S. Navy Submarine Force into robotic undersea systems, achieving key milestones including the first operational deployment and recovery of an unmanned underwater vehicle from a submarine. He also led innovation efforts that began the shift away from undersea search operations based on expensive platforms and moved toward operations based on large numbers of inexpensive vehicles. He has written extensively on the future of undersea warfare and is a sought-after
Rovco Joins NVIDIA Inception Program
;s range of underwater robotics and subsea inspection techniques. As a member of the Inception Program, Rovco will also be participating in the NVIDIA GPU (graphic processing unit) Technology Conference in Munich next week (October 10 – 12 ), Europe's only dedicated conference on AI, autonomous vehicles and virtual reality. Founded in 1999, NVIDIA sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined modern computer graphics, and revolutionized parallel computing. It has since ignited modern AI with graphic processing units to enhance computers, robots and cars. With an expanding fleet of
Klein's Side Scan Sonar, Then and Now
, with a beam that was narrow in the horizontal plane and wide in the vertical plane. And also beams that look out to both sides of the ship rather than just pointing in one direction. So it involves going to higher frequency using a very short pulse length and using a specially shaped beam in a towed vehicle that was towed near the seafloor to make much better pictures. From there, what was your vision? MK: I made the side scan sonar at EG&G and introduced it to the world 50 years ago at a Marine Technology Society meeting in San Diego. EG&G started making a product that was very
Rapp Marine to Equip New OSU Research Vessel
Rapp Marine said it has been selected by Gulf Island Shipyard, LLC, as the Overboard Handling System Single Source Vendor (OHS SSV) for Oregon State University’s (OSU) 193 ft x 41 ft multi-mission Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV), with the option of two additional vessels. Funding for the RCRV project is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the contract design of the RCRV was developed by Glosten. The first vessel is currently under construction at Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, La. Under the scope of the OHS SSV, Rapp Marine is responsible for integrating
New Study Will Examine Hydrate Blockage in Subsea Jumpers
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is leading a joint industry project (JIP), supported by the Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF), to provide industry with a better understanding of the mechanism of hydrate growth and blockages. The 12-month study, entitled ‘Hydrate Deposit Growth in Subsea Jumpers (HyJump)’, currently has the support of industry partners, including Chevron, Total and Woodside, and is welcoming more participants to join the project. To simulate the flow geometry and risk of hydrate blockage in subsea equipment, the project will see the development
USS Washington Commissioned
The U.S. Navy’s newest Virginia class submarine, USS Washington (SSN 787), was officially commissioned during a ceremony on board Naval Station Norfolk, Va. on October 7. Washington, named in honor of the 42nd state, is the 14th Virginia-class, fast-attack submarine to join the Navy's operational fleet. Elisabeth Mabus, daughter of the 75th Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, served as the submarine’s sponsor. Washington is the fourth of eight Block III Virginia-class submarines to be built. The Block III submarines are built with new Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower
Maersk Oil CEO to Step Down after Total Takeover
The chief executive of Maersk Oil, Gretchen Watkins, will leave the company when Total's acquisition of the company has been completed, Maersk said Wednesday. Watkins joined Maersk Oil as Chief Operating Officer in January 2014 and took the role of CEO in October last year. Prior to joining Maersk Oil, she had worked at Marathon Oil and BP. Total agreed last month to buy the oil and gas business of A.P. Moller-Maersk for $7.45 billion, strengthening the French major's operations in the North Sea. The current COO at Maersk Oil, Martin Rune Pedersen, will become vice president
Mini ROV Aids in Drill Ship Cleaning & Inspection
A VideoRay Mission Specialist (MSS) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used in the Gulf of Mexico for a second Intermediate UWILD Inspection on a DNV classified drill ship. The MSS ROV, which was transported to the location by boat and deployed from the drill ship, cleaned 62 sea chest grates in the machine room, engine room and pump room over the course of three days. Paul Chittenden, Business Development Manager at Proceanic, explained that “cleaning time is basically cut in half” with the Mission Specialist. The MSS system. “High power in a small package…wh
