One-on-One: Chris Gibson, VideoRay
Chris Gibson is VP of Sales & Marketing at VideoRay, a leader in portable, inspection-class remotely operated vehicles (ROV). Gibson is a ubiquitous figure around the globe representing the VideoRay brand, and has been with the company since its inception in 1999. MTR spoke with Gibson recently for his insights on market and tech drivers.The familiar family of VideoRay ROVs are found globally in a wide range of industries and missions, from homeland security and defense, to inland and offshore infrastructure inspection, aquaculture, power plant inspection, and more. MTR caught up with Gibson
DGA Taps iXblue for AUV Positioning & Monitoring
The French General Directorate of Armament for Technical Naval Applications (DGA Technique Navales – DGA/TN, formerly GESMA), an entity specialized in experimentation in the area of mine warfare, has selected iXblue's Gaps acoustic positioning system for its autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) positioning and monitoring applications."The choice of Gaps by the DGA/TN, which is the reference in France in the area of mine warfare, is a clear mark of the confidence placed in our underwater positioning technology," said Hubert Pelletier, Head of the Acoustics Division of iXblue. "Thi
OPT Inks Deal with US Operator
and complexity drive the need for new technologies and where every dollar saved goes directly to the bottom line,” he said.“OPT’s PowerBuoy Exclusion Zone Monitoring solution can decrease cost and increase safety by providing autonomous surveillance and monitoring. Resident underwater vehicles using our continuous PowerBuoy recharging system can allow for safe and cost-effective visual tracking and intervention during well plugging and abandonment activities. Our PowerBuoy eliminates the need for expensive on-site vessels by offering a clean and renewable solution while allowing operations
World First: Video Broadcast Live from Underwater
Pioneering subsea communications technology has enabled the world's first live broadcast stream to global audiences from an underwater submersible.Underwater technology company Sonardyne International said the international news agency Associated Press (AP) used its BlueComm wireless through-water optical modem technology to broadcast live from a two-person submersible operating in waters off the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean. AP said that the broadcast via YouTube was “the first multi-camera live signal in full broadcast quality from manned submersibles using optical video transmission
U.S. Navy Requests $205.6B in 2020
According to a blog by Rear Admiral Randy Crites posted on the Navy Live, the official blog site of the U.S. Navy, the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 20 Budget request submitted to Congress is $205.6 billion, a 4.8% increase from the FY19 enacted budget. Specifics of the budget are focused on six specific dimensions:The FY20 budget requests funding for more ships – as the navy continues to progress toward a 355-ship fleet – submarines, aircraft and people, and highlights include: The budget provides for a deployable battle force of 301 ships in FY20 including 11 aircraft carriers and
Catamaran and AUV Complete Joint Survey
Norwegian and Canadian partners have completed geophysical area survey in Norway using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and small catamaran concept.In September 2018 DOF Subsea Norway AS was awarded a contract for The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Statens Vegvesen (SVV), to perform geophysical mapping of a 5km2 area in Bjørnafjord in Norway. The project was executed using the Hugin AUV Chercheur manufactured by Kongsberg Maritime and owned and operated by Canadian company Ocean Floor Geophysics Inc. (OFG) in combination with the small survey catamaran GeoCat owned by DOF Subsea
TenneT Contracts Fugro for UXO Services
services at an offshore wind farm development in Dutch coastal waters. The contract follows previous involvement in route survey activities at the site.Fugro said it will use DP2 multipurpose vessel Atlantis Dweller for the contract. The vessel is permanently equipped with a work class remotely operated vehicle (ROV), providing fast and safe identification of potential UXOs. Other technology includes a sub-bottom imager which can reduce dredge scope, resulting in notable time savings.Commenting on the identification and clearance (ID & C) project that begins in April, Business Development Manager Martin
Chevron to Use Subsea Compression at Jansz-Io
Aker Solutions announced Tuesday it has been awarded a master contract to support the delivery of a subsea compression system for the Chevron Australia-operated Jansz-Io field offshore Australia, marking the first time the technology will be used outside of Norway.Compression helps to maintain plateau gas production rates as reservoir pressure drops over time, but such compressors have typically been installed on platforms over sea level. Placing this equipment on the seabed and near the wellheads improves recovery rates and reduces capital and operating costs, Aker Solutions said.The first
Melhuish Joins WFS Technologies
Wireless subsea technology provider WFS Technologies has appointed Moray Melhuish to the newly-created post of commercial director, responsible for building on the success of its industry-advanced innovations as well as increase its portfolio of national and international projects.Melhuish was previously business development director at independent ROV specialist, ROVOP, and prior to this was responsible for the sales and marketing work-class ROV systems at i-Tech, a division of Subsea 7. He also spent three years at Triton Group, now Forum Energy Technologies.An Aberdeen University graduate with an
Maersk Supply Service Wins Total Contract
are a series of versatile vessels designed together with Marin Teknikk and built as a flexible, stable and reliable platform for deep- and shallow-water operations. The vessels feature an efficient propulsion set-up, a 400 t active heave compensated crane and two work class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) capable of operating in up to 3,000 m water depth. The large 1,850 m2 free deck is designed with hundreds of non-welding, sea fastening features and cofferdams are built in above all tanks
ABS: Guidance for Remote Inspection Technologies
Classification society ABS has published new guidance notes detailing best practices for their use on class surveys and non-class inspections.The Guidance Notes on the Use of Remote Inspection Technologies cover pilot-operated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and robotic crawlers, collectively known as remote inspection technologies (RIT).“The use of RITs can reduce risk for Surveyors and inspectors by lessening the need to access potentially hazardous locations at height, or other hazardous inspection areas. This guidance facilitates safer, more
OceanAlpha Launches 5G Unmanned Vehicle
A 5G unmanned surface vehicle recently made its debut in Barcelona, Spain. The new boat was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2019, where fifth generation of mobile communication technology (5G) was the "hottest topic", said Chinese company OceanAlpha, who developed the new vehicle OceanAlpha 5G alongside developed by Ericsson and China Mobile.According to its developer, the unmanned "environmental smart vessel" is designed to help address the problem of water pollution by quickly and efficiently collecting water quality monitoring data, identifying the cause of the
ASL Hires Taillefer
ASL appointed Martin (Marty) Taillefer to the position of Senior Project Manager and Business Development. Taillefer has been working in the fields of oceanography, hydrography, ocean acoustics and underwater warfare for over 25 years. A naval officer for over 20 years, the latter 10 years were spent as an Underwater Warfare Director and Oceanographer for the Pacific Fleet. Taillefer oversaw the implementation and operations of decisional systems, acoustic modeling and operational systems to create operational products to the fleets. He also oversaw the routine creation and production of real-time
Seatec Wins Subsea Pumps Order
Dutch supplier Seatec said it has been awarded a contract for the design and delivery of four subsea pump systems.The comany said all four systems will be fitted with special hydraulic motor, remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) release and various electrical sensors plus valves.Required hydraulic powerpacks (topside) are included in the scope of supply and will be Seatec design as well.Delivery is scheduled for April 2019.
Kraken Debuts New Synthetic Aperture Sonar
definition seabed mapping with superior area coverage rates, according to the developer."Kraken’s latest development, the AquaPix MINSAS-240 sensor, has been designed to advance the state-of-the-art in seabed mapping for both high-speed towed systems and large diameter unmanned underwater vehicles (LDUUVs)," explained Kraken's President & CEO, Karl Kenny.The 6,000-meter-rated MINSAS-240 SAS is available now and ready for integration on a variety of unmanned underwater platforms. The system achieves an area coverage rate (ACR) of 5.3 km2/h with 3´3 cm image resolution and
Kraken Receives $2.3 Mln from Ocean Infinity
and the confidence they are showing in our strategic direction. We recently completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) at our German facility on the first battery units for Ocean Infinity. We expect initial battery shipments in March for integration into Ocean Infinity’s autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).”Oliver Plunkett, Ocean Infinity’s President & CEO said, “We were pleased to witness the successful FAT of the first batch of Kraken’s new batteries for our Hugin AUVs. These new batteries will provide significantly longer endurance missions, reduced number of
DOF Subsea Tallies Multiple Contracts
and Skandi Hercules. Taking into account the new contracts and existing work, DOF Subsea said its order intake stands at more than NOK 1 billion in the subsea/IMR project segment during the first two months of 2019, securing utilization for several vessels and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) systems.DOF CEO Mons S. Aase said, “I am pleased with the magnitude of the contract awards and our global organization’s ability to secure utilization for the group’s assets in a challenging market.&rdquo
IDEX: Demo of Aquabotix SwarmDiver EDGE
of the EDGE system, and the company showcased the product’s distinguishing features, including its capabilities to be used as a visual boundary and first line deterrent for various waterborne threats.The SwarmDiver EDGE system has been designed to alert for threats of manned and unmanned vehicles, including militarized vehicles and hobby drones with explosives, or swimmers planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) through utilization of a swarm of the vehicles equipped with high intensity lights. This capability can be used to ensure the security of vessels and other targets of
R/V Bob and Betty Beyster: New CAT For Scripps
.Bob and Betty Beyster features a dynamic positioning system (DPS) that integrates GPS navigation data with propulsion controls to automatically maintain heading and position, even in strong currents and windy conditions. These capabilities enable the precise control required for remotely operated vehicles, CTD casts, mooring deployments, and other operations required for science.The vessel's scientific equipment includes a seafloor mapping system, a knuckle crane that enables the vessel to deploy and recover autonomous vehicles, a stern A-frame with hydraulic hoist, a hand-deployable remotely
Naviera Tramarsa Adds Another ROV
Offshore operator Naviera Tramarsa has extended its subsea vehicle fleet with a new Cougar XT remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) from manufacturer Saab Seaeye.The 2,000m rated Cougar XT will enter operations in May 2019, joining the company’s Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV, which it has operated for 10 years.Naviera Tramarsa’s main activity is the inspection of oil platforms in the north of Peru for the hydrocarbon exploration and production company Savia Oeru, where the Falcon has undertaken visual inspections and CP measurements.Naviera Tramarsa said the Cougar XT will expand and improve
