MTR 100: Sonardyne International Ltd.

Not content with remaining known as a world-class manufacturer of underwater acoustics, the last few years has seen UK-based Sonardyne International transform its business into a 300 people-strong organization able to offer inertial navigation, sonar imaging and wireless communication technologies all under one roof. At Sonardyne, creating innovative, low risk solutions that solve clients’ subsea challenges is the driving force behind this independent design and manufacturing company.

NOAA Forms Panel to Guide Ocean Exploration

NOAA announced the appointment of 13 members to a new federal Ocean Exploration Advisory Board that will provide guidance to NOAA and the nation on ocean exploration. “This distinguished board will advise NOAA on priority areas for exploration, investments in new technologies, and a strategic plan for greater understanding of our planet’s last frontier,” said NOAA Chief Scientist Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., who will serve as liaison to the board for NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D.

Kongsberg Position Refrence System Integrates GNSS Services

Kongsberg Maritime has expanded its established satellite position reference system portfolio with the introduction of a new system that integrates all available Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and all possible correction services. The new DPS 432 combines full decimetre accuracy with high integrity and availability of GNSS data, supporting the safety and efficiency of offshore operations that rely on advanced Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems.

Another Mission Needed to Recover El Faro’s VDR

The investigative team who located the El Faro’s voyage data recorder (VDR) has determined that another mission will be necessary in order to retrieve the device, which may contain recorded conversations and sounds from the ship’s navigation bridge, potentially helping investigators to piece together the sequence of events that led to the cargo ship’s sinking during Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015.

NATO Science Mission Employs ‘Double Muscle’

Commencing on her first NATO sea trial of the year, the NATO research vessel (NRV) Alliance has sailed out with new assets on board that aim to enhance collaborative robotics for MCM applications, including a new vehicle, which only apparently duplicates the CMRE MUSCLE prototype. On the aft deck of the NRV Alliance, sailing for the first CMRE (Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation) scientific campaign of 2017, there are two very similar robots.

Voyis Discovery Camera Integrated with Deep Trekker REVOLUTION ROV

Canadian underwater technology companies Voyis and Deep Trekker have joined forces to achieve an exceptional integration: the fusion of Voyis' cutting-edge Discovery camera with Deep Trekker's REVOLUTION ROV (Remote Operating Vehicle). the REVOLUTION ROV features a unique rotating head facilitating optimal positioning of attachments such as imaging sonar and grabbers, and it is capable of descending to depths of up to 305 meters.

NOAA to Award $28 Million to Tackle Marine Debris

The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced the availability of up to $28 million across two funding opportunities to address marine debris throughout the coastal U.S., Great Lakes, territories and Freely Associated States. These two Fiscal Year 2024 funding opportunities are part of NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and allow NOAA to support impactful…

Ancient Amphora Discovered by OceanX Handed Over to Malta's Cultural Heritage Authorities

Global exploration nonprofit OceanX said this week it had delivered an ancient amphora to Maltese heritage authorities that was discovered by chance on the Mediterranean seafloor during a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dive in the summer of 2022."This handover is an example of a non-governmental research entity executing the delivery of a discovered artifact through the appropriate channels according to rules laid out by UNESCO," OceanX said. A handover ceremony was held at Fort St.

Greensea’s New Ship Hull Crawler Tech Launches with VideoRay Defender ROV

Greensea introduces a new hull crawler that easily attaches a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to a ship hull without magnetics, allowing the operator to “drive” the ROV and payloads over the hull. Initial hull crawlers are designed to work exclusively with the VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender ROV. The hull crawler represents a milestone in Greensea’s hull robotics program, which is advancing navigation…

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…

The Great Barrier Reef: 3D Habitat Map

International aquatic remote sensing company EOMAP will showcase its unique contribution to the world-first 3D habitat map of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) at the International Forum on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry, SDB Day 2019, next month in Australia.The mapping project, ‘3D live habitats for the full extent of the Great Barrier Reef’, will provide, for the first time, maps of the predicted coral types and underwater landscape for the more than 3…

Exail Opens New Office in Norway

Eying growth in the Scandinavian region, Exail announced the opening of a new business office in Norway. Located in the Oslo area, this new office is led by Lars Sorfang, who is acting as general manager for Exail AS, as well as regional sales manager for Scandinavia.A former officer for the Norwegian military, Sorfang previously held various business development positions at Kongsberg working on strategic defense programs…

Converted OSV Enters Service in the UK as an Underwater Surveillance Ship

A converted offshore support vessel has taken on a new life as a dedicated underwater surveillance ship for the U.K.'s Royal Navy.Christened during a ceremony in London on October 10, RFA Proteus will be operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a launchpad for remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and a home to a suite of specialist capabilities similar to those found in the offshore oil and gas industry.The ship…

Ocean Infinity Orders Six 85m Robotic Offshore Vessels from VARD

U.S.-based seabed survey and ocean exploration firm Ocean Infinity has hired VARD to design and build a new series of six multi-purpose offshore vessels that will all be operated from shore and will eventually run on green ammonia.This order of six, 85-metre, optionally crewed robotic vessels will take Ocean Infinity’s remote vessel fleet to 23 vessels, which the company says is the largest in the world.

Petrobras Extends Deal for Use of CGG's Seismic Processing Software

French offshore seismic data services company CGG said Wednesday that it had recently signed an expanded five-year licensing agreement with the Brazilian oil company Petrobras for Geovation seismic processing and imaging software.CGG said the deal would give Petrobras geoscientists access to advanced technology innovations, including full-waveform inversion (FWI), and significantly enhance their imaging capabilities.Peter Whiting…

Subsea Training Center Revamps ROV, Bell Courses

New modules added with support from industry. Students undertaking ROV Pilot Technician and Closed Bell training at the Fort William-based subsea facility, The Underwater Center, are to benefit from newly revamped courses providing even more contextual modules. The Center has been working with industry to identify areas of its ROV and Closed Bell training suites which can be enhanced and courses for the remainder of 2015 will reflect this with major developments across the board.

MTR 100: RECAB

“RECAB is a provider of rugged computers; we are a hardware company,” said Bjørn Espen Aase, Managing Director, RECAB Norway. We met with RECAB at the recent Norshipping in Oslo to catch up with this fast-growing computer integrator, a company which sees its business spread across many industries that demand high-performance rugged computing. “We are a typical subcontractor for the big players like Kongsberg and Rolls-Royce, for example.

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.

MTR100: EvoLogics GmbH

Ackerstr. CEO/President:     Dr. Dr. No. EvoLogics GmbH is a German high-tech enterprise, founded in 2000 by a group of leading international scientists and R&D experts. The company’s mission is to develop innovative technologies for maritime and offshore industries through interdisciplinary cooperation between engineering and life sciences. The company designs and manufactures underwater information and communication systems based on bionic concepts…

DOF Subsea Selects Sonardyne Navigation Tech

International subsea services provider DOF Subsea has chosen acoustic and inertial navigation technology from Sonardyne Brasil Ltda. to support its deepwater operations from three vessels offshore Brazil.The three vessels will be equipped with Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav all-in-one subsea navigation instrument for underwater vehicles. A remote operated vehicle (ROV) on one of the vessels will also be fitted with a Sonardyne Syrinx Doppler Velocity Log (DVL), in place of its existing system.