Saab Seaeye for Gulf Pipeline Inspection
CCC Underwater Engineering is preparing to resume the second phase of a 2,000 km pipeline survey in the Arabian Gulf, totaling 316 pipelines. CCC are inspecting the final 102 pipelines using its Saab Seaeye Leopard underwater robot.Its objective is to achieve a baseline accuracy below 0.5 meters, which requires a large array of high definition filming and sensing equipment.The necessary array aboard the Leopard includes three HD cameras with movie quality 1080i interlacing, two Kongsberg M3 profiling sonars, Sonardyne Mini-Ranger and SPRINT-Nav 500 Hybrid INS, Valeport bathy suite including
Hybrid Autonomous Systems Evolve
Marine autonomous systems and combinations of such systems are being increasingly put to the test in the offshore space. Elaine Maslin looks at how hybrid remote and autonomous systems are now being tested.Concepts like resident subsea vehicles, for inspection, repair and maintenance, are attractive options, but not the only ones being tried. Deploying remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) are also being tested and put to use. It’s another way to take operators out of harm’s way, centralize operations and cut costs and environmental footprints. But, there&rsq
USV Completes Greater Gabbard Survey
A vessel remotely operated from shore performed survey work for a wind farm in the sea off Suffolk, UK, reportedly marking a first for the offshore wind sector.The XO-450 unmanned surface vessel (USV), owned and operated by XOCEAN, carried out seabed surveys on seven of the turbines at the 140-turbine Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, located 23 kilometers off the UK coast.The USV is around 4.5 meters long and weighs about 750 kilograms, and can be monitored and controlled 24/7 via a satellite connection by a team at an onshore control center.Throughout the survey, the data collected was monitored
Next Gen LARS for Fugro's New L3-ASV
RC Dock Europe, part of RC Dock USA Inc., delivered two fully automated launch and recovery systems (LARS) for Fugro’s new Autonomous Surface Vessels. (ASV)Designed to be used in rough offshore conditions and operated from a moving support vessel, both LAR systems are fully automated and of a “open” design making it suitable to receive ASV’s with different types of keel mounted payloads up to a weight of 6 Tons.A patented lock and release system consists of a series of special designed magnets which are activated by sensors and controlled by RC Dock’s inhouse
Coda Octopus Debuts Echoscope AIR
Coda Octopus has introduced its newest camera, the Echoscope AIR.The Echoscope AIR initially focuses on the above water, short range construction market applications where imaging and placing objects above the waterline can be as critical as underwater, adding to placement accuracy and efficiency for operators and project construction teams. It gives users an extra level of scene awareness to ensure inspection and monitoring tasks are completed safely and efficiently with the same real-time 3D data and multi-aspect imaging as enjoyed uniquely by Echoscope users, Coda Octopus said. Providing the same
Kraken Finalizes OceanVision Contract
since receiving conditional approval at the end of June 2019. These activities have included the hiring of 20 new employees in Canada, continued development of new product initiatives including Multi-Spectral synthetic aperture sonar (SAS), SeaVision laser scanners and ThunderFish autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and the pursuit of a new robotics as a service joint venture business. In October 2019, Kraken completed its first offshore survey campaign for the OceanVision project, deploying its sensors and unmanned underwater platforms to conduct ultra-high definition seabed imaging and mapping on the
Akva Group Warns of Q4 Loss
Norway's Akva Group, a supplier of equipment to the fish farming industry, warned on Monday of an operating loss for the fourth quarter as revenue missed expectations.Akva expects an operating loss of between 25 million and 30 million Norwegian crowns ($2.8 million-$3.4 million) for the October-December quarter, it said in a statement. It did not provide a year-ago comparison.The revenue shortfall was mainly caused by project delays, particularly in its land-based fish farm equipment unit, Akva Group added.($1 = 8.9047 Norwegian crowns)(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche)
MarTID 2020: The Maritime Training Survey is Open
The third annual global Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) 2020 survey is officially open.To facilitate a broader response globally, the MarTID steering group again opted to both shorten the survey and to offer three, targeted versions for these three stakeholders:Vessel Operators,Training Institutions, andSeafarers. Take the Survey Vessel Operator survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperator METI survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDMETI Seafarer survey link: https://www.
Subsea Robots in the Splash Zone
to effect inspection, maintenance and repair, or IMR. Old submarine anchorages are now subsea testing and training sites, but the North Sea is still the target. Hundreds of aging platforms and subsea structures require IMR that’s too costly, complex or hazardous for divers or remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs.As he walks us through Dora II, the original name of the U-boat pen, OceanTech CEO, Berndt Schjetne, points to corners of the building stashed with rental tools custom-built for a range of past clients: a lift palette for the serpentine ROV, Eelume; a large splash-zone tool with
SMTP Helps to Power Future Ocean Tech
types of fishing bear.A New Kind of Ocean RobotTools that are adaptable and flexible are really the successful ingredients in today’s ocean start-ups. Sunfish Inc., a new subsidiary of Stone Aerospace, and another SMTP grantee, has designed and built a new type of hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (HAUV). Unlike other AUVs, the “Sunfish” is capable of mapping and monitoring its environment to create its own mission plan. This dramatically refines what can be accomplished autonomously, exploring diverse systems from coral reefs to the undersides of glaciers. The Sunfish may also
US Navy to Test L3Harris UUV
L3Harris Technologies will provide an unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) for expeditionary undersea missions for U.S. military.The U.S.Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which accelerates commercial technology to solve national security solutions, has awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to L3Harris for the U.S. Navy’s Next Generation Small-Class Maritime Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (MEMUUV) program.This award includes the delivery and testing of an Iver4 - 900 PW UUV and two field swappable modular payload sections, including real aperture and
NOAA, Ocean Infinity Form Research Partnership
US-based subsea technology and data company Ocean Infinity said it will partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office to develop new tools for ultra-high-resolution ocean exploration and mapping.The four-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Ocean Infinity and NOAA's Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) will aim to expand deepwater autonomous technologies that will help advance the transmission of ocean information and develop new data-collection and processing methods to increase the value and relevance of deep-ocean data. A key focus
RCCL Taps SGS for Maintenance and Repair
Subsea Global Solutions (SGS) has entered into an agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL). Under the agreement SGS will provide underwater hull maintenance and repair services for their fleet of 58 ships trading under six different brands (Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, Azamara, TUI, Silversea, and Pullmantur). The new agreement is a continuation of the long term relationship between the two companies.
WHOI Robot Takes First Known Automated Sample from Ocean
A hybrid remotely operated vehicle developed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) took the first known automated sample performed by a robotic arm in the ocean. Last month, an international team of researchers used one of WHOI’s underwater robots, Nereid Under Ice (NUI), to explore Kolumbo volcano, an active submarine volcano off Greece’s famed Santorini island.“For a vehicle to take a sample without a pilot driving it was a huge step forward,” says Rich Camilli, an associate scientist at WHOI leading the development of automation technology as part of NASA’s
Kraken Wins Canadian Government Contract
subsidiary Kraken Robotic Systems has been awarded a contract valued at $524,720 (CAD) (approximately US$405,500) with the Government of Canada for Kraken’s SeaVision 3D laser scanner.An underwater 3D laser imaging system designed to be fitted to remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles, SeaVision was initially pre-qualified under the Canadian government’s Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP). Effective April 1, 2019, BCIP became the Innovative Solutions Canada –Testing Stream (ISC-TS), delivered by Innovation, Science & Economic Development’s Innovation
Maritime Blue-Light Laser Discovered
An EU maritime study has identified a record-breaking ‘blue-light’ laser for the maritime industry.Scientists working on the $1 million KETmaritime project have released a detailed report on the potential of ‘Photonic Marine Applications’.The latest report, which has been produced by Spanish research center AIMEN, reveals new boundaries broken in marine laser development – enhancing the detection of underwater objects including submarines and archaeological sites.Project coordinator Ana Vila from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) said: “In
Research Vessel Delivered to Orca Maritime
Institution of Oceanography (R/V Bob and Betty Beyster) in 2019.Orca Maritime will utilize the workboat in support of Department of Defense initiatives, environmental agencies, energy sectors, and commercial enterprise. Vessel operations will include the launch and recovery of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), underwater gliders, surface and underwater sensors, remotely operated vehicles (ROV), and unmanned surface vehicles (USV). Benthic Cat will also support surface-supplied/SCUBA diving operations and provide onboard data processing.(Photo: Maddie Hunt Photography / Armstrong Marine)The catamaran
Aqueos Wraps Up Subsea Inspections Offshore California
Subsea services firm Aqueos Corporation announced Friday it recently completed a diving and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) campaign on the US West Coast.The work scope included level III and IV subsea surveys of three large conventional jacket structures off the coast of California as part of an ongoing structural integrity review of the jackets, and included detailed inspection of welds.Both Close Visual Inspection (CVI) and Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) methods were used thoughout the jackets, in water depths ranging up to 365 meters. Also included were detailed cathodic potential
DSV Completes US Northeast Campaign
Aqueos Corporation said it has wrapped up saturation diving and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) campaigns for multiple clients in the US Northeast.The saturation diving vessel DP2 DSV Kelly Ann Candies was used to conduct inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) work on multiple liquefied natural gas (LNG) offloading facilities in the area in depths down to about 107 meters water depth. Work also included conducting +200-ton lifts for which Aqueos opted to mobilize local barges with winch spreads.Jason Brink, campaign project manager, said, “With our company entering into multiyear
Researchers Find Mysterious Seafloor Holes
surveys by MBARI and other organizations revealed over 5,200 pockmarks spread out over 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles), making this area the largest known pockmark field in North America.More recently, MBARI conducted detailed seafloor surveys using sonar mounted on autonomous underwater vehicles. These surveys revealed thousands of smaller pits, which they termed micro-depressions. The micro-depressions average just 11 meters (36 feet) across and one meter (three feet) deep. They have steeper sides than the pockmarks and are often elongated in one direction.Map showing the locations of
