Virtual AIS Beacons Employed in MH370 Search

Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products and virtual Aids to Navigation (ATON), announced that its Virtual AIS Beacons are employed in the search for lost Malaysian airliner MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The international search team is a closely coordinated effort between United States-based Phoenix International, Dutch engineering company Fugro and the governments of Australia and Malaysia.

Video: Maritime RobotX Challenge in Singapore

As part of its push to expand upport for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education across the globe, Northrop Grumman Corporation has sponsored the Maritime RobotX Challenge in Singapore, Oct. 20-26. Bringing together 15 teams of university students from five countries (United States, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Australia), RobotX challenges each team to develop and test a highly-capable unmanned surface vessel (USV).

Earliest Known Marine Navigation Tool Found

State-of-the-art laser scanning technology has helped researchers to confirm that an artifact recovered from the wreck of a sunken 15th century ship in the Indian Ocean is the earliest known marine navigation tool. When the Blue Water Recovery team found the object in 2014, they believed it was an astrolabe used by mariners to measure the altitude of the sun during voyages, but they were not certain as there were no visible navigational markings.

Russian Icebreaker to Norway for Upgrade

Head engineer in the Sevmorgeo company, Yuri Kuzmin, confirms that the conventionally powered “Dikson” will spend 15 days in Kirkenes for the upgrade. Another icebreaker, the “Kapitan Dranitsyn” will undergo a similar upgrade in a yard in Murmansk, reports the 'Barents Observer'. While the “Kapitan Dranitsyn” will engage in mapping of the seabed in order to collect data on the extension of the Russian Arctic shelf…

SRI Underwater Mass Spectrometer Integrated with Bluefin AUV

SRI International has successfully demonstrated unprecedented capabilities for conducting underwater chemical surveys with its in situ membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) device integrated into a Bluefin-12 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed and manufactured by Bluefin Robotics. Advanced underwater surveys are in demand by researchers and companies involved in monitoring and protecting ocean resources and oil and gas infrastructure…

Registration Open for Oceanology International

Registration for the largest-ever Oceanology International (ExCeL London, March 11-13, 2014) is now open at oceanologyinternational.com. With 520 exhibitors from 35 countries taking up over 8,000 m2 net of space, the biennial global forum is where industry, academia and government come together to share knowledge and connect with their peers in the marine technology and ocean science community, thus improving their strategies for measuring…

Scientists Study Waves’ Effects on Antarctic Ice Shelves

Starting in November, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, researchers and colleagues will embark on a mission funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs to install a seismic array on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf. The data generated by the array is expected to deliver new information on the dynamics of the stresses that wave impact vibrations place on ice shelves that extend out into the open ocean.

Partners to Advance Subsea Robotic Inspection

A first-of-its-kind integration of artificial intelligence, autonomous underwater vehicles, laser sensors and 3D imaging aims to advance inspection services for the oil and gas industry. Kraken Robotics Inc.’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems Inc., has partnered with GE Venture Avitas Systems to integrate autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), acoustic and laser sensor technology and…

MTR100: Teledyne Marine Acoustic Imaging Group (PART III)

Kim Lehmann, President of the Teledyne Marine Acoustic Imaging Group and the Teledyne RESON Group, discusses with Marine Technology Reporter the driving trends in the subsea business and the impact on his specific group of companies. Advancing the business of working underwater is dependent on a number of interconnected technologies that must work together with ease and efficiency. Imaging, or the ability to more clearly ‘see’ underwater…

Cledirsa to Represent MacArtney in Uruguay, Paraguay

Cledirsa Ltda. (Montevideo, Uruguay) has put pen to paper on an exclusive agreement to represent, market and sell MacArtney underwater technology products and systems in Uruguay and Paraguay. As the ambition and global reach of the MacArtney Group continues to expand, the agreement marks a strengthening of MacArtney’s strategic presence in South America. Founded in 1997, Cledirsa launched operations by selling navigational electronics and cartography to the regional shipping industry.

Teledyne Marine Hosts its 2nd Technology Workshop

More than 270 customers from around the globe converged in San Diego from October 15-18 to attend Teledyne Marine’s second biennial users’ conference, the Teledyne Marine Technology Workshop (TMTW). There, more than 50 customer presentations detailed utilization of Teledyne Marine products and technologies for applications spanning offshore energy, defense, ports and harbors, oceanography, aquaculture, dredging, hydrography and hydrology.

Aquabotix Introduces Remote Piloting Capabilities

Users of Aquabotix’s underwater vehicles and cameras now have the ability to pilot their devices remotely from any web browser-enabled device, from anywhere in the world, thanks to the newly introduced Live Remote Control from UUV Aquabotix Ltd. Live Remote Control enables users to operate Aquabotix’s Endura ROV (remotely operated vehicle), Hybrid AUV/ROV (autonomous underwater vehicle/remotely operated…

Maersk Drilling Secures Nexen Contract

Danish driller Maersk Drilling has been awarded a contract by Nexen Petroleum for the drilling of three wells and options for nine additional wells at UK’s largest producing oil field, the Buzzard field in the Central North Sea. The drilling campaign is for the Buzzard Phase II Development Project and is planned to commence around July 2018. The estimated duration of the initial firm contract period is 225 days.

Modern Compasses Improve Oil Production

By using the Earth’s magnetic field, combined with new innovative technology, oil and gas drilling companies are increasing oilfield productivity while reducing development costs and environmental impacts. This technology has applications across the world, and public-private collaborations between the U.S. Geological Survey and partners have successfully implemented the technology. These days, multiple…

MTR100: McLane Research Labs

No. McLane Research Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1983 to provide advanced time-series samplers and engineering design services to the international oceanographic community. The objective of McLane Research Laboratories is to enable investigators to achieve their research and scientific goals by providing advanced, cost-effective instrumentation. Through its long-term R&D programs and our long association with diverse researchers and projects…

Aerial Drones Take Flight Offshore

Oil and gas companies are using unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology to improve safety and efficiency in a growing range of applications, from infrastructure and maintenance inspection to security, emergency response and environmental and regulatory compliance. Today’s UAS programs are supported by payloads including high-definition video equipment, high-resolution still cameras, thermal imaging cameras and emission sensors – and there are many ways…

MTR100: Kongsberg Maritime

Kongsberg Maritime’s sonar, multibeam echo sounders, cameras, positioning and underwater communication systems, and AUVs are used in survey and inspection operations worldwide. Working closely with customers to develop technology that pushes the limits in subsea applications, Kongsberg Maritime is also dedicated to developing innovative environmental monitoring solutions. The company mission is maximizing performance by providing The Full Picture.

iXBlue to Supply Gyrocompass Systems to RFA Tankers

iXBlue announced it is to supply QUADRANS fiber-optic gyrocompass systems for installation aboard the four new Tide Class tankers of the U.K. Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The systems to be supplied to Kelvin Hughes Limited will be integrated as a sub-system of the Integrated Bridge Systems for delivery to Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea where the vessels are under construction.

NYK: Oil Production Starts at Third FPSO Unit

In July, a third floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit deployed by NYK for the BM-S-11 consortium** through a joint venture company started oil production in a pre-salt area off Brazil. This FPSO unit, FPSO Cidade de Saquarema, is owned by a shareholder consortium comprising SBM Offshore N.V. (Netherlands), Queiroz Galvão Óleo e Gás S.A. (Brazil), and a joint venture company between NYK (48.72 percent…

Submersible Takes Sea Exploration to New Depths

ICTINEU 3 deep submersible flagged in France - a new tool available for deep underwater exploration. The  ICTINEU 3, a manned submersible that can carry three (one pilot and two passengers) to depths of 1,200 meters, completed sea trials and certification tests last April in France under DNV-GL and French Maritime Affairs witnessing, where it obtained French flag and registration number, as well as navigation permits.