Rovco Grows Its Team
Remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and hydrographic survey company Rovco said on Wednesday that it has established a dedicated business development team to support its growth plans as it looks to increase its presence in key international markets.Brian Allen, CEO of Rovco, said, “The expansion of our business development team is in direct response to increased activity across both the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors, and is a key step forward in our ambitious plans to increase our workforce over the next 12 months.Paolo Cattaneo, Brett Laurenson and Alex Pretty collectively
Subsea Vision & Photogrammetry Lab Formed
Offshore robotics company FORSSEA ROBOTICS chose GMS as main technical partner to certify its real-time visual positioning technologies. A joint laboratory will be created to develop a common offer covering camera calibration, subsea image treatment and innovative photogrammetry solutions.FORSSEA ROBOTICS decided last year to adapt its Atoll ROV embedded visual docking technology into a stand-alone product. The company was already manufacturing and commercializing underwater cameras, mainly for R&D underwater vision applications.The so-called V-LOC (Visual LOCalization) technology has been designed
Artificial Intelligence Aids Subsea Object Detection
A developer of real-time 3D sonar technology and real-time subsea intelligence has launched a new product that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and recognize distinct underwater objects.Coda Octopus announced Tuesday that it is launching the initial product of its AI-based Automatic Object Detection (AOD) software product series, the Survey Engine Automatic Object Detection Package (SEADP), which enables geophysicists to automatically accomplish the previously painstaking and costly task of manually sifting through data to identify, tag and report on boulders within a seabed
ROVs to Investigate Lost Shipping Containers
Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) will be deployed to investigate containers lost from a cargo ship in heavy seas off Australia.The YM Efficiency, operated by Taiwan shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, was sailing from Taiwan to Sydney in early June when it lost dozens of containers overboard amid five-meter swells in the Tasman Sea, about 30 kilometers off Australia's east coast.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), citing serious potential impacts to local fishing and the environment, said it has been "extremely concerned at the lack of progress in
ROVOP Opens Middle East Hub
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services provider ROVOP said it has expanded in the Middle East, opening a new base in the region.Two senior staff members, operations director Doug Middleton and business development consultant Michael O’Donnell, will relocate to the region to staff the new Middle East operation.The Middle East will now have the largest independent ROV operator providing the highest quality services to clients across the Drill Support, IRM, and Construction markets within the oil and gas sector, underpinned by operational excellence and a diverse fleet of ROVs, all managed and
IKM Wins ROV Contract from AKOFS
IKM Subsea said it has been selected to provide remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) services as part of AKOFS Offshore's five + three year light well intervention (LWI) services contract on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) from Equinor.IKM said its 400 Million NOK ($47.2 million) contract with AKOFS includes the construction and mobilization of two Merlin UCVs (ultra-compact vehicles) on board the well intervention vessel AKOFS Seafarer. IKM will also supply ROV services with personnel and onshore support for the duration of the contract. The ROVs will be built by IKM Subsea’s
Benthic Completes Esso Survey off Guyana
Geosciences company Benthic completed field work for Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. for an offshore geotechnical investigation and environmental baseline survey in the Stabroeck and Canje blocks offshore Guyana.Benthic said it executed the combined geotechnical and environmental scope of work from the vessel Chouest Sable in Q3 2018.Benthic’s Portable Remotely Operated Drill (PROD 3) and geotechnical equipment collected borehole samples, box and piston cores, grab samples and conducted in-situ PCPT testing at subsea infrastructure locations in water depths up to 3,100 meters.Environme
OPT Rolls Out New Products
.(Photo: OPT)Subsea batteries create a sea floor energy storage solution for remote offshore operations. These subsea batteries use lithium ion batteries (often replacing traditional lead acid batteries) to supply power that can enable subsea equipment, sensors, communications and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) and electric remotely operated vehicles (eROV) recharge. OPT’s PB3 PowerBuoy is complimentary to subsea batteries by providing a means for recharging during longer term deployments, or the batteries can be used independently for shorter term deployments. Ideal for many remote offshore
MacArtney Hires Behrens as CCO
Michael Behrens has been named chief commercial officer of subsea technology provider MacArtney Underwater Technology from November 1, based at the company's headquarters in Esbjerg, Denmark.Behrens joins MacArtney from the largest steel and technical sales company in Denmark. He has a HD(O) in Organizational Leadership from the University of Southern Denmark, and is currently finishing an MBA in Business Administration. Behrens' career began in international sales, and over the years he has taken sales director and business management roles with leading technology companies from Saab to ABB.
Ashtead Inks Rental Deal with Oceaneering
Independent provider of subsea equipment rental, sales and services to the offshore industry Ashtead Technology Limited announced Wednesday that it has secured a global master lease agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of global oilfield services provider, Oceaneering International Inc.The agreement will see Ashtead offer Oceaneering’s range of remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) tools and systems for rental from its facilities in Aberdeen, Abu Dhabi, Houston and Singapore.
Ocean Infinity Orders Five HUGIN AUVs
Hydrographic and geophysical survey company Ocean Infinity has placed three separate orders for a total of five Kongsberg Maritime HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Systems, increasing its inventory to 15.Kongsberg Maritime said the AUVs are supplied with its latest generation HISAS 1032 synthetic aperture sonar, giving Ocean Infinity a total of six HUGINs with the ability to deliver high resolution imaging in its fleet.HISAS generates high resolution range independent imagery and full swath bathymetry. Coupled with the other sensors on board, the HUGIN AUVs produce a data set including HISAS
iSURVEY Completes Nord Stream 2 Survey
had full contract responsibility for the vessel, marine, survey, processing and reporting elements of the entire scope – a first for the group.The survey was carried out from the 42-meter vessel SeaZip Fix, on charter to iSURVEY. The vessel served as platform for the survey and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations, with a moonpool deployment frame providing a retractable mounting location for vessel-based attitude monitoring, positioning and geophysical sensors. Combined multi-beam echo sounder (MBES) and side scan sonar (SSS) systems were utilized throughout the survey, along with a towed
Long Range UUV to Feature Fuel Cell Power
Cellula Robotics Ltd. announced it will develop and build a long-range unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) incorporating a fuel cell power pack and suction anchor. The UUV, known as Solus-LR, will have a target range of 2,000 km and is designed to stay submerged for multi-month missions.Cellula said it is moving forward with the project after having received approval to proceed with phase 3 of a contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defense's (DND) science and technology organization, Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC), under the
Next-Gen Autonomous Survey Vessels
Fugro has signed a joint development agreement with autonomous vessel technology firm L3 ASV to create the next generation of autonomous vessels for the commercial survey market.The partnership brings together the expertise of both companies for the joint development of a variety of fit-for-purpose unmanned surface vessels (USVs). Delivery of the first USV, designed for medium- to large-scale hydrographic survey applications, is scheduled for Q2 2019.“We believe that over time a significant portion of our marine business can be optimized through the use of autonomous and remote technology
Subsea Global Solutions Acquires Muldoon Marine Services
Commercial diving company Subsea Global Solutions (SGS) said it has acquired Muldoon Marine Services (Muldoon), a commercial diving firm based in Long Beach, Calif."This is an exciting day for the SGS family as this acquisition will further solidify our position as the market leader in underwater ship maintenance, repair and marine construction solutions both locally in California and abroad," said Paul Peters, Chief Executive Officer of SGS. "Muldoon has been operating in the Long Beach area and nearby ports for 30+ years with a solid track record and an exceptional customer service
RBR Opens Office in China
under the direction of RBR Ltd. (Canada) will support the growing customer base and collaborative business development activities in China, the company said.“The market in China is huge and the local innovation in ocean science research, operational oceanography, deep sea studies and autonomous vehicle development is tremendous. RBR’s continued investment in China will help enable more innovative projects in China and allow RBR to share these experiences and applications with the rest of our global oceanographic community,” said Eric Siegel, Director of Sales and Marketing.The coastal
Olis Robotics Hires Levedahl
University with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. Following his Bachelor of Science, Levedahl received two Masters, one in Aerospace and another in Electrical Engineering. He then went on to obtain his PhD in Aerospace Engineering. His experience includes modeling and control of underwater vehicles in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, work on ground-based robotics systems as a Designated Associate Professor in Engineering at Nagoya University in Japan, and development of in-space manufacturing technologies as Chief Scientist at Tethers Unlimited, a defense and commercial space technology
Voices: Professor Cui Weicheng
CompanyDirector of Shanghai Ocean University’s Hadal Science and Technology Center (HAST), Lingang (New City), Pudong District, is one of those leading and influencing the development of advanced deep-sea technology. He is on an extraordinary mission to build a fleet of manned and unmanned vehicles capable of routine dives to the bottom of any ocean trench. His approach to solving the basic start-up funding problem is likely the first in the Chinese experience, using government-private-public partnerships seen in other parts of the world. He travels extensively and spends many hours meeting
Video: Soil Testing Vehicle Dives Deep
elements: resource assessment, technology and environment.To verify resource estimates undertaken during GSR's 2014 and 2015 campaigns, nodules were collected using deep-sea dredges and box cores.The technological aspects involved the deployment of Patania I, the first tracked soil testing device vehicle to reach and travel the seafloor at depths of more than 4,500 m. The vehicle is the first of a series of three that will validate environmental performance in the deep sea. It was engineered in-house by GSR and built in collaboration with De Meyer in Belgium.Meanwhile scientist from both GSR and
Rovco Buys a Falcon DR ROV
U.K. subsea services company Rovco said it has expanded its remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and hydrographic survey capabilities with the addition of an electric Saab Seaeye Falcon DR ROV to its fleet.The 1,000-meter depth rated, long-range Falcon DR will enhance Rovco’s ability to deliver intricate and demanding missions that require a variety of high bandwidth sensors, either at depth or over long distances, the company said.The Falcon DR marks a £200,000 investment for the firm and is part of its expansion program. As well as its commercial use, it will support Rovco’s
