BAS to Study Future Sea-level Rise in Antarctica

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) researchers are aiming to develop new and ambitious ideas to tackle critical global environmental challenges, such as global sea-level rise from Antarctica, with the help of new funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).NERC has awarded £2.3 million (about $2.8 million) to BAS for the new science program SURface FluxEs In AnTarctica (SURFEIT).SURFEIT…

"World's First" - Fugro Personnel Certified to Operate Uncrewed Surface Vessels

Dutch offshore survey services firm Fugro said that its personnel from its Middle East office has completed "the world's first" Maritime Autonomous Surface Systems (MASS) professional certified training delivered by SeaBot XR at the training academy CEbotiX, the National Centre for Operational Excellence in Marine Robotics based in Southampton, UK."This certification marks a landmark step in the development…

OPT Buys Autonomous Surface Vehicle Maker MAR

Wave energy solutions provider Ocean Power Technologies has acquired Marine Advanced Robotics, Inc. ("MAR"), a California-based developer and manufacturer of autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). "This acquisition immediately provides OPT with an established, innovative offshore product line that features roaming capability and highly complements the OPT business strategy," OPT said.Founded in 2004, MAR is the developer of Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) technology…

Meet FlipiX: iXblue Launches New ROTV

At Ocean Business 2021 in Southampton, iXblue today launched a new ROTV -- FlipiX -- designed to enhance autonomous survey scope.Designed to be operated autonomously from iXblue DriX Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) or from a light vessel, FlipiX enhances autonomous survey capabilities and allows to conduct multi-sensor operations in a single run.Leveraging advanced motion control and a reduced operational footprint…

MTR100: When it Comes to Drones, Big is Good. <1m is Better.

Over the last couple of decades, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) have become fully established work horses of ocean mapping and surveillance. That doesn’t mean there’s not room for some innovation. Elaine Maslin takes a look at some activity in the sub-1m collaborative drone market.New breeds of AUV are on their way. Some are bigger, but there’s also a host of companies developing small (<1m)…

MacArtney Launches NEXUS 8 Multiplexer

Underwater technology specialists MacArtney unveiled its latest addition to the NEXUS multiplexer family at the biannual Ocean Business 2021 exhibition, held October 12-14 in Southampton, U.K.Continuing MacArtney's long tradition of developing products in consultation with the marketplace, the NEXUS 8 is the result of considerable customer and end-user input to ensure the product will fit the need…

Corps Building Underwater Sill to Halt Saltwater Intrusion in Mississippi River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District began construction of an underwater sill October 11, 2022, across the bed of the Mississippi River channel to prevent further upriver progression of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico.The Mississippi River’s volume of water has fallen to a level that allows salt water to intrude upstream. Saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico moves upriver in a wedge…

English Channel 700MW Windfarm Project

Plans for a giant wind farm off the coast near Brighton advance as developer E.ON submits initial planning application to the Government. The energy giant, which was granted the rights to the Hastings Round 3 offshore wind development zone back in 2010, withdrew its first application for a development consent order (DCO) late last year after it emerged it had failed to consult neighbouring councils in Sevenoaks and Surrey, reports REVE.

Gavia AUV Gets a Sonar Upgrade

Teledyne Gavia has continued the enhancement of its modular, versatile, low-logistics subsea survey solution, the Gavia autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), this time with the addition of a new Side Scan/Bathymetry module. Incorporating Klein Marine Systems’ new UUV-3500 high-resolution side scan sonar with optional bathymetry sonar, the system is another high quality option for customers interested in utilizing the Gavia AUV for geophysical survey…

Teledyne Benthos Acoustic Modems Meet NATO’s New JANUS Interoperability Standard

From May 21-25, Teledyne Benthos took part in a five-day JANUS Interoperability Fest hosted by the NATO STO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), based in La Spezia, Italy, at which various vendors tested their JANUS protocol capabilities. The Teledyne Benthos UTS-9400 deck box and ATM-900 Series Modems were tested and proved their ability to provide an interoperable real-time implementation…

Classification Society Further Expands its Role

Bureau Veritas to acquire Sievert Group, a leading provider of non-destructive testing & inspection services, notable for oil & gas pipelines work. Established in 1986, Sievert has developed a comprehensive suite of services meeting the needs of industrial sectors, primarily the oil & gas industry. The company is specialized in conventional and advanced non-destructive testing services. It has state of the art capabilities ranging from X- and Gamma ray radiographic testing…

Zentech Inks Deal for Two Z-210 with CSSC

Zentech Incorporated of Houston, Texas, USA signed contracts with CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited for the construction of (2) Z-210 Mobile Offshore Units. These contracts were finalized based on the Letter of Intent received by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard on September 23,2015. The Z-210 is a self-propelled, self-elevating, DP-2 capable, ABS Class, high temperature (55 deg Celsius) rated 4-legged mobile offshore unit capable of operating in water depths of up to 280 feet.

US Blue Tech Companies to Watch in 2017

Chosen for their innovative ocean technologies and export potential, 17 small U.S. companies from nine states have been selected to participate in the 2017 cohort of the first U.S. Maritime Technology Export Initiative. The selected companies each develop, manufacture or sell a variety of maritime or ocean technologies or services in aerial drones, maritime robotics, ocean observation, renewable energy…

Experts Partner to Launch Fiber-rope Crane

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, announced it can now offer the offshore industry fiber-rope crane. The new crane has been developed by combining MacGregor's offshore crane technology with the fiber-rope tensioning technology perfected by Parkburn Precision Handling Systems. The companies have entered into a cooperation agreement to combine MacGregor's offshore crane expertise with Parkburn's fiber-rope tensioning technology.

O&G Experts to Discuss Upstream Data Analytics

The upstream industry is at a critical juncture. Downward pressures on oil prices are leading to investment cuts in digital oilfield projects. But the current environment can provide a perfect breeding ground for innovation. In the current oil price environment, it is more important than ever to ensure every well and field is operating to its most efficient capacity. For this reason, the oilfield analytics market continues to drive forward.

DSTO First Purchaser of Kraken Sonar Systems Aquapix SAS

Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) of Australia purchased an interferometric synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) system from Kraken Sonar Systems of St. John’s, Newfoundland in December 2012. This is Kraken’s first commercial sale of the AquaPix SAS system, which follows two sets of sea trials in which the system had been previously tested by Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island.

Modern Tech for a Cold Case

In January 1971, a phone rang in the living room of a family in Atlanta, Ga. Lem Nikita, then 19, answered the call which confirmed that his father George Nikita’s plane had crashed somewhere over Lake Champlain during a blizzard shortly after takeoff. The elder Nikita was the pilot of a 10-seat Jet Commander owned by Cousins Properties, Inc. It was enroute from Burlington, Vt., to Providence, R.I., to pick up one of the pilots wives before continuing on to Atlanta. Five men were on board.

BAE Systems Awarded £201m to Advance Successor Sub Design

The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems £201 million to further the design of a successor to the Royal Navy's Vanguard class submarines. The funding will allow the business to mature the design of the new class of submarines, which will carry the U.K.'s independent nuclear deterrent, including the layout of equipment and systems, and to develop manufacturing processes, BAE Systems announced today.

A Sea of Robots

A team of researchers from the Institute of Telecommunications at University Institute of Lisbon and from University of Lisbon in Portugal are the first to demonstrate a swarm of intelligent aquatic surface robots in a real-world environment. Swarms of robots have the potential to scale to hundreds or thousands of robots and cover large areas, making them ideal for tasks such as environmental monitoring, search and rescue and maritime surveillance.

Underwater Robotics National Challenge set for Indy

In only a few weeks, SeaPerch, a national educational outreach program using underwater robotics, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), will hold its 2013 National SeaPerch Challenge. Hosted by the Indiana State Regions this annual competition will take place on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the University’s Natatorium housing the Olympic pool.