BEI Kimco, a manufacturer of high-performance rotary and linear motion components, has announced that it has developed several new brushless DC motors that meet ROV Inspection Class requirements and provide high efficiency and low acoustical noise design configurations.

Inspection Class ROVs are the smallest, most portable class of ROVs and are easy to deploy. They operate on less than 10 horsepower, and use compact thruster motors that attach directly to the propeller for positioning and navigation.

Current and emerging Inspection Class ROV applications include: search and rescue, maritime security, military, hydro industry, offshore oil rig inspection, and science and research. These applications require a low profile design with the capabilities of operating reliably in water and occasionally oil.

“BEI Kimco has developed motors within the 10 horsepower range that the ROV Inspection Class needs,” explains Walter Smith, Applications Engineer/Project Manager for BEI Kimco. “We have been collaborating with leading OEMs on designs that offer significant improvements on the motor functionality offered by other motor manufacturers.”

BEI Kimco is also able to provide higher motor efficiencies – ranging from a 10% to 30% improvement over previous designs. Higher efficiency motors translate into capabilities for supporting continuous duty cycles and extending battery life for remote applications. BEI Kimco’s high efficiency motor performance has been achieved by using proprietary low magnetic circuit design techniques, leading edge manufacturing process technologies and expertise in material selection.

“We recently produced an array of solutions from one base motor model for a large thruster manufacturer in the ROV market,” adds Smith. “With these recent successes, we fully expect to make major in-roads in this fast-growing area.”

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The UK’s Royal Navy has announced that, along with its US counterparts, it has surveyed the sea bed for mines more than 200 nautical miles away from its Bahraini base using a range of autonomous and unmanned minehunting systems.

The Task Group was made up of HMS Shoreham and Bangor, the USS Devestator and Gladiator as well as Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay which ensured the ships were supplied with fuel, water and stores while on patrol. In addition to using the specialist minehunting skills of the four ships, the Task Group also made use of cutting edge technology and small boats which were launched from RFA Cardigan Bay. These meant the team could survey hundreds of miles of seabed at a time to detect what is already on the seabed so that they objects can be discounted if mining is ever suspected in the area in the future.

The Task Group’s commander, Commander Paul Ottewell of the Royal Navy, said: “Though our mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) and embarked expeditionary units are all experts in their own fields, we must be able to operate effectively together, so that we are collectively greater than the sum of our parts.

“We can then deliver a single, coherent and consistent message of reassurance to the International Shipping industry who use these important routes on a daily basis.”

The information brought back from the ships built up a very detailed picture of the seabed on the key shipping routes through a number of key strategic areas in the Gulf. This was achieved through a combination of high-definition sonar, state-of-the-art autonomous surface and underwater vehicles, remotely-operated vehicles and highly-trained mine clearance divers.

The divers were from the Royal Navy’s Fleet Diving Unit 3 (FDU3), usually based at Portsmouth, and a US Navy Expeditionary MCM Company and this was the first time the two units had worked together on operations. Both are made up of underwater explosive ordnance disposal specialists whose main role is to spot suspicious underwater contacts and then make them safe.

The combined dive teams use remotely operated vehicles fitted with their own sonars, meaning they can identify and dispose of ordnance from afar as well – at much less risk to themselves or their colleagues.

Commander Ottewell said: “As new generations of off-board systems become operational, we are increasingly able to find and destroy sea mines at deeper depths, more rapidly and with less risk to human life. Autonomous and semi-autonomous systems are rapidly coming of age, complementing the capability of our world-class MCMVs to produce an expeditionary MCM task group with substantial resilience and speed of advance through a mine field.”

FDU3’s Lieutenant James George, added “The Fleet Diving Unit is held at high readiness to deliver military diving capability around the world, be that identifying underwater objects or disposing of dangerous ordnance. This operation provided an ideal opportunity to fully integrate with our colleagues from the US Expeditionary MCM Company, exchanging best practice and forging long lasting relationships.”

Another world-class capability embarked in RFA Cardigan Bay was the US Navy’s experimental Mine Hunting Unit (MHU) with their Unmanned Surface Vehicle. This vehicle is fitted with a mine-hunting sonar to detect underwater objects.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Andrew Wasz from the US Navy, said: “Though we are an experimental unit, we fully contributed to the efforts to ensure the areas remain safe for shipping. This technology is the future of MCM operations and we will take every opportunity to demonstrate its full capability.”

The use of the MHU is a prime example of how both countries are looking to use more unmanned systems to ensure less risk to divers and sailors.

UK and US MCMVs are already fitted with the Seafox Mine Disposal System – a remotely operated vehicle that can identify underwater objects and render them safe if necessary.

The Task Group was commanded by US Commander Task Force 52 (CTF 52) in Bahrain and tactical control afloat was delivered by the UK’s Mine Warfare Battle Staff (MWBS) embarked on RFA Cardigan Bay.

The MWBS were tasked to refine, execute and evaluate MCM operations. Logistics Coordinator, Lieutenant Ben Crouch, said: “The difficulties involved in supporting four ships and embarked units, over a large geographical area, is a challenge. However, RFA Cardigan Bay provides the perfect platform to achieve this.”

He added: “This is my first experience of working on a Battle Staff where we have specialists from a range of backgrounds, including engineering, intelligence and meteorology, who are planning operations and assisting our ships. It has certainly been a busy but professionally rewarding operation.”

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RE2, Inc., a developer of robotic manipulator arms, has announced that it has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to design Inflatable Underwater Manipulator arms for the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR).

During the Phase I program, RE2 will design a light-weight inflatable underwater manipulation system for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). The inflatable manipulator arms will be designed as a payload for AUVs. Ultimately, the manipulator arms will be used as a collaborative robotic system to assist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers in dismantling Waterborne Improvised Explosive Devices (WIEDs) and other hazards.

EOD divers are often placed in harm’s way while performing underwater location and identification of ordnance on ships, waterways, and underwater structures. The deployment of a cost-effective and reliable manipulation system on an AUV promises to bring the stand-off capabilities that robotic and autonomous systems have brought to EOD technicians operating on land to those operating underwater.

“Our talented engineering team has extensive experience designing and developing robotic arms for EOD robots,” stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2. “Underwater is our next frontier and we are honored that the Navy has entrusted RE2 with the design of this new inflatable robotic manipulation system.”

This program is RE2’s second contract with ONR this year to develop underwater manipulator arms. RE2 is also developing an Underwater Dexterous Manipulation System for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Applications.

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Seatronics, a developer of marine electronics technologies, has announced that it has performed a successful demonstration of its Predator Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). During the demonstration the vehicle triggered a Percussion Actuated Non-electric (P.A.N.) disrupter subsea, whilst maintaining station keeping during the live fire mission.

Manufactured and developed by Seatronics, the Predator ROV has been designed to function in all market sectors due to its compact and portable structure, ensuring easy deployment and operation.

Seatronics established the Predator ROV Elite System as a Bomb Squad Capable Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ROV specifically designed to perform demonstrations in conjunction with Great Eastern Group (GEG) for the US Maritime Bomb Squads. A demonstration of the unit was conducted in April 2015 in response to requirements outlined by the nation’s bomb squad community and the Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach Port Dive Operations Group (PDOG).

Euan Mackay, vice president of sales, Seatronics Inc., said, “Feedback received from the demonstration proved to be very positive, categorising the Predator ROV Elite System as a very capable ROV with great potential for underwater counter IED projects. The attendees recognised the system’s power, effective station keeping ability and low cost basis as key beneficial features. The Predator’s ability to hold station was made possible with the use of the SeeByte CoPilot software, which was developed in conjunction with Seatronics and refined to address the specific needs of the FBI and PDOG teams. The trials and client comments enabled the Seatronics and GEG team to identify areas for ROV enhancement to capitalise on the functionality for counter IED missions, including lowering the overall system weight, improving mobility as well as successfully integrating the P.A.N. disruptor function onto the unit.”

Initial demonstrations resulted in an invitation for Seatronics to demonstrate the Predator ROV Elite System at the Underwater Post Blast Investigators Course in Bluffton, South Carolina, USA, hosted by the FBI Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Unit (C-IEDU), along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s (SLED) Bomb Squad. Attending the course offered the opportunity to demonstrate the Predator ROV Elite System to a variety of Public Safety entities in a real world environment.

Derek Donaldson, vice president of global operations, Seatronics, said, “The Predator ROV Elite System performed flawlessly, aiding the dive teams in finding post IED explosions debris in near black-water conditions.

“The capability demonstration culminated with the Predator successfully live-firing a P.A.N. disruptor subsea, while maintaining full control using the vehicle’s SeeByte CoPilot system. The Predator is the first ROV in its class to achieve this prestigious accolade.”

Robert Von Loewenfeldt, senior special agent, South Carolina Law Enforcement, added, “The Predator ROV Elite System’s cameras positively identified a suspected IED and the P.A.N. was fired from the ROV’s Operator’s Control Unit. The firing of the P.A.N. had little effect on the Predator’s ability to maintain station keeping, making it easy for the operator to see the effect the P.A.N. round had on the target. Unlike most ROVs, the Predator ROV Elite System offers a truly remote solution to the underwater IED problem.”

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Lockheed Martin has announced that it has selected SeaRobotics Corporation as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for its Marlin Mk3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), designed for survey and inspection applications in depths up to 4,000 meters.

Designed for deepwater applications such as pipeline inspection, deepwater survey, and life of field support services for oil and gas, the Marlin Mk3 features modular, plug and play mission package architecture and dual AUV/Remote Operated Vehicle propulsion modes. The Marlin can be outfitted with sophisticated sensor packages including multi-beam, side scan, 3D, sub-bottom profiler, and synthetic aperture sonars, as well as high resolution video, still photo, and laser profilers, enabling advanced autonomous data acquisition, processing, analysis and response.

“Lockheed Martin’s extensive AUV development expertise, coupled with SeaRobotics’ comprehensive commercial design, manufacturing, and offshore support capabilities, forms a team that is fully capable of delivering Marlin’s game-changing technology to commercial markets,” said Don Darling, president of SeaRobotics.

Leveraging advanced autonomy technologies developed for Lockheed Martin’s undersea defense portfolio, the Marlin Mk3 offers powerful new autonomous inspection capabilities that significantly reduce operator workload and fatigue. High resolutions, 3D models of subsea structures in real time, and prior survey result detections enhance Marlin’s capabilities. The Marlin Mk3’s 44 kWh battery capacity provides mission endurance up to 24 hours and an operational range greater than 100 kilometers before recharging is required.

“Lockheed Martin’s Marlin Mk3 allows offshore service providers to take on a wider range of deepwater survey and inspection operations than other AUVs, and its plug and play design enables rapid adoption of new sensor, navigation, communication, and energy technologies,” said Rich Holmberg, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Mission and Unmanned Systems. “Lockheed Martin has over 20 years of experience in deploying innovative AUV solutions and the Marlin Mk3 takes these unmanned solutions to the next level.”

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The U.S. Navy has recently awarded five delivery orders to Bluefin Robotics for vehicles that will increase the Navy’s capability to remotely search and investigate ship hulls, harbor sea floors, and other underwater infrastructure for limpet mines, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other objects of interest.

The delivery orders, valued at $5 million, are to be used in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Hull Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Localization System (EOD HULS) Program of Record.

The EOD HULS System (known as MK19) consists of two vehicles and associated support equipment. Bluefin’s third-generation Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV-3), used in the MK19 system, was initially developed under Office of Naval Research and transitioned to the EOD Program Office.

Bluefin’s work will include engineering support, operator training, on-board repair parts, depot spares, retrofit, addition of new capabilities, and the manufacturing of systems 6 and 7.

New capabilities include the integration of a GPS receiver and magnetic compass for geo-referenced navigation during searches; integration with the Common Operator Interface Navy EOD (COIN); addition of video enhancement; an update of SeeByte’s Automatic Target Recognition software to the ARIS imaging sonar and other new features.

After delivery of Systems 6 and 7 scheduled in spring 2016, the Navy will own 14 vehicles and a spare.

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Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, chairman and CEO of nonprofit organization XPRIZE, has announced the launch of the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE at a keynote address during the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco. The XPRIZE will be a three-year global competition challenging teams to advance ocean technologies for rapid and unmanned ocean exploration.

As part of the total $7M prize purse, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is offering a $1M bonus prize to teams that demonstrate their technology can “sniff out” a specified object in the ocean through biological and chemical signals. David Schewitz, Shell vice president of geophysics for the Americas, and Richard Spinrad, chief scientist at NOAA, joined Diamandis on stage to launch the new competition.

“Our oceans cover two-thirds of our planet’s surface and are a crucial global source of food, energy, economic security, and even the air we breathe, yet 95 percent of the deep sea remains a mystery to us,” Diamandis said. “In fact, we have better maps of the surface of Mars than we do of our own seafloor. The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE will address a critical ocean challenge by accelerating innovation to further explore one of our greatest unexplored frontiers.”

The three-year competition includes nine months for team registration, 12 months for initial solution development and 18 months to complete two rounds of testing and judging by an expert panel. In each round, teams will complete a series of tasks, including making a bathymetric map (a map of the sea floor), producing high-resolution images of a specific object, and identifying archeological, biological or geological features. Teams also must show resiliency and durability by proving they can operate their technologies, deployed from the shore or air, at a depth of up to 4,000 meters.

“Spurring innovation and creating radical breakthroughs in ocean discovery are what excite us about collaborating with XPRIZE,” Schewitz said. “Shell recognizes the need to leverage the full power of innovation: the capacity for doing things differently and better than before.”

A $4M Grand Prize and $1M Second Place Prize will be awarded to the two teams that receive the top scores for demonstrating the highest resolution seafloor mapping, after meeting all minimum requirements for speed, autonomy and depth. Up to 10 teams that proceed to Round 2 will split a $1M milestone prize purse. And the $1M NOAA bonus prize will be awarded to the team that can trace a chemical or biological signal to its source.

“The goal of the $1M NOAA bonus prize is to identify technology that can aid in detecting sources of pollution, enable rapid response to leaks and spills, identify hydrothermal vents and methane seeps, as well as track marine life for scientific research and conservation efforts,” said Spinrad.

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Hydroid, Inc., a manufacturer of marine robotic systems, has announced the release of Line Capture Line Recovery (LCLR), a self-contained module that is initially offered on Hydroid’s REMUS 600 autonomous underwater vehicle for the purpose of autonomous launch and recovery.

“We designed the LCLR to be a first-of-its-kind system that will make the launch and recovery process completely autonomous,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Hydroid. “This will enable easier vehicle recovery and increase operational flexibility. As industry leaders, it is our goal to continue to progress autonomous technologies, which is illustrated with the development of this innovative product.”

A vertical line is deployed in the water with a transponder attached to the end of the line. When the vehicle is commanded to dock, the LCLR software autonomously homes the vehicle to approach the transponder. The vehicle navigates autonomously toward the transponder and attaches itself to the line above the transponder. The line and the attached vehicle are then recovered on a vessel such as an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) or any other platform. The vessel may be stationary or moving during the capture process.

The LCLR module uses a linear Digital Ultra Short Base Line (DUSBL) Acoustic Array for homing the vehicle to the transponder. The final capture is assisted by articulated arms for capturing the line after the vehicle reaches it. Upon capture, a latch mechanism attaches the vehicle to the line. An optical sensor is used to confirm the completion of the vehicle’s capture and initiate its recovery.

During the approach of the vehicle to the transponder, the system Graphical User Interface (GUI) can send updates on the transponder position via acoustic messages to the vehicle. The GUI may be configured to transmit the position update to the vehicle automatically or manually by the operator. The LCLR system also works for moving captures, using GPS to determine the vessel’s position.

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360Heros, a developer of virtual reality video technology, has announced the release of the 360Abyss v4, an electronic, automated underwater dive housing for creating virtual reality 360 video and 360 photos. The upgraded camera housing introduces electronics for simultaneous camera control and new features for improving 360 video workflow.

The most significant upgrade to the 360Abyss is the 360Heros Bullet360 control board system enabling users to simultaneously operate the rig’s six GoPro cameras by plugging them into an internal wired interface. The system is triggered magnetically and features controls for turning cameras on and off and firing the camera shutter buttons for both video and photos underwater.

The magnetic control also triggers an on-board buzzer set to go off three seconds into recording to provide an automated audio sync signal to help align multiple video frames in post production.

This low power communication board system is compatible with GoPro™ HERO3+ Black, HERO4 Black and HERO4 Silver cameras.

The 360Abyss v4 dive housing is rated to 1,000 meters and certified to 500 meters with neutral buoyancy in salt water. The rig features six individual pressurized camera compartments to keep components separate and secure.

“These upgrades are going to revolutionize underwater virtual reality filming,” Michael Kintner, CEO and founder of 360Heros, said. “The 360Abyss v4 solves many of the challenges VR content creators face when working with multiple cameras underwater such as conserving battery supply and triggering cameras simultaneously for video and audio sync.”
“We’ve discovered in our tests while filming at 120 frames per second that we’re seeing a better, more consistent frame sync than what can be achieved syncing cameras with a WiFi remote.”

The 360Heros Bullet360 control board system includes dedicated input and output ports for multi camera installations that can control up to 50 or more cameras simultaneously. This technology will also be incorporated into future products for filming 3D 360 video underwater.

The 360Abyss v4 has an anodized 6061-T5 aluminum core to act as a heat sync to help prevent overheating in a small pressurized chamber. The ability to turn the cameras on and off underwater also combats battery consumption.

The 360Abyss’ 3/8″ threaded corner mounting points have also been upgraded to aluminum for improved durability and strength. Additionally, the 1-inch ball joint allows universal connection with film accessories such as lighting and mounting. The unique remote triggering system allows the 360Abyss v4 to be operated above water, below water, from the inside of a submarine, on ROVs, research vessels and many other remote dive triggering solutions.

Key Features:

• Houses 6 GoPro cameras in individual compartments for capturing 360 video/ 360 photos
• 360Heros Bullet360 electronic boards for simultaneous camera control
• Magnetic trigger for turning cameras on/off underwater and firing camera shutters
• Automated audio sync buzzer to aid in frame sync in post production
• Rated to 1,000 meters and certified to 500 meters with neutral buoyancy in salt water (slightly negative in fresh water)
• Output up to 8K (8,000 x 4,000 pixels) resolution 360 video
• Anodized 6061-T5 aluminum core housing for durability and to help prevent camera overheating
• 8 anodized aluminum threaded 3/8″ mounting points
• Aircraft grade poly carbonate domes offer a 360-degree crystal clear field of view underwater
• 45-degree mount attachment for submarine and ROV compatibility
• Unique remote triggering system offers ease of use for submarines, ROVs and many other industrial remotely controlled solutions

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Professor David Lane is Professor of Autonomous Systems Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and a founding Director of both SeeByte and the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. In 2001 Professor Lane formed the founding team of SeeByte, and as CEO until 2010 he led the company from a start-up to a multi-million dollar award winning organization, with offices in Edinburgh and San Diego.

Bob Black, CEO at SeeByte commented “On behalf of all of us at SeeByte, I would like to congratulate Dave on receiving his CBE. SeeByte continues to benefit from the hard work that Dave put into the company and we wish him all the best for his future endeavours”.

Professor Lane remained involved with SeeByte as a Board member until 2013 when SeeByte was acquired by Battelle. Along the way, Professor Lane oversaw the setup of SeeByte Inc. in the US and the development of much of the technology which has allowed SeeByte to reach a position of market leadership in smart software for unmanned maritime systems.

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The US Navy has announced that it has tested its newly developed Common Control System (CCS) software architecture with a submersible unmanned vehicle during a series of underwater missions at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport in Puget Sound, Washington.

The CCS successfully demonstrated its capability to provide command and control to a surrogate Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (LDUUV).

CCS is a software architecture with a common framework, user interface and components that can be integrated on a variety of unmanned systems. It will provide common vehicle management, mission planning, and mission management capabilities for the Naval Unmanned Systems (UxS) portfolio.

During the test events, operators from Submarine Development Squadron 5 (SUBDEVRON 5) Detachment UUV used CCS to plan and execute several surveillance and intelligence preparation missions. The CCS sent pre-planned missions, via radio link, to the LDUUV’s autonomous controller and displayed actual vehicle status information to the operators during the test. The vehicle was able to maneuver to the target areas and collect imagery.

“These tests proved that operators could use CCS from a single global operations center to plan, command, and monitor UUVs on missions located anywhere in the world,” said Capt. Ralph Lee, who oversees the Navy’s CCS program at Patuxent River, Maryland. “This event also showed us that CCS is adaptable from the UAV [unmanned air vehicle] to UUV missions.”

Teams from the Navy’s Strike Planning and Execution and Unmanned Maritime Systems program office (PMA-281), Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division , Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Pacific, John Hopkins and Penn State universities worked together to design, develop and test this software before executing the live demonstration last month.

“We had a really talented group of people working on this project,” said Vern Brown, who supports the CCS Advanced Development team based in China Lake. “It was exciting taking the CCS concept of controlling an undersea vehicle from inception early in the year to a successful in-water demonstration.”

The Director for Unmanned Systems’ (OPNAV N99) roadmap intends for CCS to be compatible across all domains – air, surface, undersea and ground. The Navy initially plans to deploy the CCS on unmanned air vehicles. It will provide common vehicle management, mission planning, and mission management capabilities for the Naval UxS portfolio.

“Ultimately, CCS will eliminate redundant efforts, encourage innovation, and improve cost control for unmanned systems,” Lee said.

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Impact Subsea, a developer of underwater sensing solutions, has announced the launch of the ISD4000 – the company’s new survey grade Depth & Temperature sensor with optional integrated HMRU.

The ISD4000 features 0.01% Full Scale Depth measurement accuracy combined with a temperature measurement accuracy of 0.01°C. The sensor can also be supplied with an integrated HMRU, which provides the user with Heading, Pitch and Roll values.

Designed to be a ideal sensor for ROV & AUV underwater applications, the ISD4000 offers a significant degree of capability in a small form factor. At 8cm (3.1”) long, 4.5cm (1.8”) wide and weighing 0.5kg (1.10lb) in air, the ISD4000 is a highly compact unit. This form factor is ideal for applications where space and weight are critical considerations. The unit uses under 40mA of power at 24VDC, making it ideal for AUV or battery powered applications. It is housed in a robust titanium housing built to withstand the harshest of underwater environments.

The ISD4000 complements Impact Subsea’s ISA500 sensor. Combined, the pair provide the user with Altitude, Depth, Temperature, Heading, Pitch & Roll. All values can be displayed in a single easy to use software interface or output to a third party system.

Ben Grant, Managing Director of Impact Subsea, commented: “With the ISD4000 we have created a very capable Depth & Temperature sensor, which complements the capabilities offered by the Impact Subsea ISA500. Providing Depth, Temperature and with an integrated HMRU, the ISD4000 is one of the most powerful and most compact underwater sensors available today.”

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Kraken Sonar Inc., a developer of Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) technology, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kraken Sonar Systems Inc., will receive a non-refundable financial contribution of up to $495,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

In addition to technical and business advisory services provided by NRC-IRAP, the funding is being used to develop the Kraken Active Towed Fish (KATFISH) for high speed, high resolution seabed mapping. The system will enable real-time seabed imagery, bathymetry and advanced 3D digital terrain models of the seabed. KATFISH will enable seabed mapping missions optimized for both manned and unmanned surface vessels.

Karl Kenny, Kraken’s President and CEO, said, “We are very grateful for the continued support from NRC-IRAP. Their assistance enables us to continue to innovate our seabed survey solutions. We’ve stated on many occasions that cost effective and high resolution seabed mapping is mission-critical for many military and commercial applications. Placing a survey sensor – such as Kraken’s Miniature Synthetic Aperture Sonar – closer to the seafloor will result in the acquisition of much higher resolution data. When the sensor is integrated onto a high speed, intelligently stabilized towed platform such as KATFISH, better quality data is acquired at a faster rate, thus improving efficiency and lowering both operational and data acquisition costs. In fact, we believe that KATFISH provides the highest resolution seabed pixels at the lowest cost compared to any other competing survey sonar platform.”

The business case for the KATFISH system involves two clearly identified and distinct markets: commercial seabed survey and underwater defence.

In the commercial seabed survey market the offshore oil and gas production industry has increased the need for surveys of existing infrastructure (such as pipelines and subsea installations). Presently, this process is completed with slow moving (1-2 knots) Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles (ROV), or passively stable sonar systems at medium (3-4 knots) speeds. KATFISH operates at speeds up to 8 knots.

Offshore exploration and production companies require comprehensive, high-resolution surveys to ensure the integrity of these pipelines, as well as the engineering and development of underwater facilities. The results of these surveys must show detailed bottom topography, surface features such as boulders, outcrops, debris, pockmarks, drag marks, and gas vents, as well as sub-bottom features such as faults, shallow gas pockets and sediment structure.

Reducing the cost and complexity of marine survey operations can profoundly impact the economics of many marine industries. Driven by lower revenue and energy prices, today’s oil and gas sectors are now seeking new technologies and tools that could lead to higher productivity, increased cost efficiencies and improved business models that rely less on expensive conventional manned systems. In fact, the offshore energy survey and mapping community may be on the verge of profound disruption, similar to that brought about by aerial drones. Next generation low-logistics / high-performance “ocean drones” are offering new options for improved productivity at lower costs, and changing old business models in the process.

In the defense market, there is a growing global requirement for modernization of mine countermeasures solutions. The previous generation of single-role minehunting vessels were designed and built between the 1970’s – 1990’s and many are now being withdrawn from service. A major drive is to replace these manned systems with multi-mission unmanned systems, such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). While AUVs provide a valuable tool in the mine warfare toolkit, they are typically too slow (3-4 knots) to support in-stride, mine countermeasures. This leaves a growing requirement for high resolution, high speed seabed imaging platforms.

Until recently, conventional side scan sonars and multibeam echo-sounders have been the leading technology for detailed mapping and imaging of the seafloor. However, Kraken’s new sonar technology called AquaPix Miniature Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar (MINSAS) is now available, and is especially well-suited for both military and commercial seabed surveys. MINSAS delivers ultra-high seabed image resolution (3 cm), simultaneously co-registered 3D bathymetry and superior area coverage rates. This underwater technology is similar to Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) that’s used for mapping the Earth’s surface, but InSAS uses acoustic energy waves instead of InSAR’s radio waves.

MINSAS not only delivers co-registered imagery and topography maps for very detailed site survey or infrastructure inspection (i.e. pipelines) but, using repeated surveys of the same area, enables detection of changes in seabed texture due to oil spills and even minute changes in the topography (e.g. reservoir subsidence). This repeat-pass survey technique is again analogous to the one used in InSAR to detect topographic changes such as landslides, etc. The ability of the KATFISH platform to generate centimetre-scale sonar resolution in all three dimensions can provide significant improvement in the detection, classification and identification of small seabed objects for both military and commercial seabed survey missions.

From a platform perspective, towed sonar systems have the benefit of providing high speed sonar data to operators in real-time, which is a critical feature for search and survey operations requiring earliest possible identification and classification of seabed targets. Onboard real time processing of sonar data also allows for real-time online quality monitoring of sonar data.

Passive towfish are the standard for most towed sonar surveys, however passive towfish have a number of limitations. The depth (or altitude) of a passive towfish is achieved by controlling the amount of cable payout (cable scope), and the speed of the surface vessel. A passive towfish does not have any active control surfaces or intelligent control system, therefore cannot actively control its attitude, heading, depth or altitude. The lack of active control means that a passive towfish is unable to compensate for any motion disturbances introduced by the surface ship, as a result of ship motion or environmental conditions such as sea state. This can yield insufficient platform stability to support onboard sonar and acoustic sensors.

However, actively controlled towfish provide a superior platform for seabed survey, particularly when using SAS. An actively controlled towfish can compensate for input disturbances, greatly improving the platform stability and the overall image quality. In addition, intelligently controlled active towfish can control their depth and altitude using intelligent bottom following and bottom avoidance routines.

The actively control towfish technology being developed for the KATFISH provides a number of significant market advantages over conventional passively stable systems:
• Improved image quality
• Enables single-pass classification
• Enables higher tow speeds, which dramatically improves Area Coverage Rate
• Reduces size and deck footprint on ships of opportunity
• Lowers risk of damage through bottom following and bottom avoidance

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Deep Trekker Inc., a manufacturer of portable remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), has announced the launch of a new hybrid-power ROV. Users now have the option of operation and charging the internal batteries while the system is plugged in. The ROV can also be switched to its on-board batteries for up to 8 hours of deployment at any time.

With Deep Trekker’s internal batteries, ROV pilots around the world have benefited from being able to launch the entire system in the most remote areas from one carrying case with no generator or additional top-side gear. The internal batteries provide 6 – 8 hours of operation with a 1.5 hour re-charge time, more than enough power for the majority of tasks in underwater work.

Challenging circumstances in environmental monitoring, salvage, and recovery projects often require a Deep Trekker ROV to be in operation for more than 8 continuous hours at a time. For these specific tasks, Deep Trekker now offers a hybrid-power ROV, providing a continuous charge to the ROV’s on-board batteries.

This new system will still use a lightweight 5mm tether similar to that on Deep Trekker’s battery operated ROV designed to send power to the batteries. A simple charging cord, resembling a laptop charger, connects to the tether reel. Thus Deep Trekker ROVs can operate indefinitely while plugged in.

“We strive for the most robust and easy to use subsea systems, we have batteries inside our ROVs so anyone, anywhere can inspect underwater.” commented Sam Macdonald, Deep Trekker President. “Now, with this added option to provide continuous power, anyone can have the best of both worlds to extend their operations and deploy in less than 30 seconds.”

The proven DTG2 design has been adopted in more than 70 countries around the world in industries such as military, police, infrastructure inspection, tank inspection, environmental research, and aquaculture. The new hybrid-power ROV will bring all of the proven robust and capable features of the DTG2 ROVs, such as its die-cast aluminum frame and 320° field of view camera, to a larger marketplace which is demanding longer mission capabilities.

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Battelle, a developer of undersea technology for the oil and gas and defense markets, has announced that it will demonstrate its HorizonVue 360 interactive camera and viewing software at the Oceanology International conference in London. The video system is now available for sale or rental through Seatronics Ltd., a specialist in marine electronic equipment.

The camera’s unique viewing capability and interactive video provides situational awareness that allows ROV operators to inspect subsea equipment and to perform detailed tasks in complex operating environments with increased efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, the system includes full-view playback and interactive software for further review back on shore. The full coverage of the work area eliminates the need for sifting through hours of recorded video waiting for something to come into the view of a pan and tilt camera.

The single camera system, which is depth-rated to 4,500 meters, allows operators to capture the same view that would normally require six to nine regular cameras. It also gives the user a virtual pan and tilt capability with no moving parts.

“The system has been generating excitement from our partners after reviewing the data collected during demonstrations, and changing the way they look at survey data packages,” said Matt Gusto, a Battelle research scientist. “Recently, we successfully demonstrated it with Technip, USA, at a depth of 2,200 meters in the Gulf of Mexico where we inspected risers, pipelines, and a variety of other subsea oilfield equipment.”

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General Dynamics Mission Systems has announced that it has acquired Bluefin Robotics, a manufacturer of unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) that perform a wide range of missions for the U.S. military and commercial customers.

“Bluefin’s advanced underwater technologies and products are perfectly aligned with our expertise in undersea system integration,” said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. “We have long specialized in many of the technologies that are making UUVs increasingly effective, and have strong credentials integrating UUVs into naval platforms. With the added capability to design and manufacture UUVs, combined with our commitment to speeding innovation to our customers, this acquisition positions us well to further support our U.S. Navy customers.”

Bluefin Robotics will become part of General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Maritime and Strategic Systems line of business. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.

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SeeByte, a developer of smart software for unmanned maritime systems, has announced that Subsea 7, a subsea engineering services company, has successfully integrated SeeByte’s CoPilot software with the work-class ROVs on board the Normand Oceanic. The vessel is equipped with two of the latest versions of its work-class Hercules ROV, which are deployed through the vessel’s own moonpool and capable to 3000m below sea level.

CoPilot is ROV piloting software that permits pilot-controlled auto-transit and stop-and-hover, whilst providing automated sonar tracking and movement relative to a target. CoPilot can be retrofitted to any ROV system.

Subsea 7’s team on board the Normand Oceanic were able to successfully integrate CoPilot with their Hercules 15 and Hercules 30 ROVs. Feedback has been positive from the ROVs’ pilots, particularly with regards to the user interface which summarises all the data from the vehicle and its sensors onto one screen.

Andrew Foster, ROV Fleet and Project Support Manager at Subsea 7 commented: “SeeByte’s CoPilot system provides our Hercules ROV pilots with a stable platform to offset the effects of poor visibility and current, allowing them to fully focus on the task at hand. The system flexibility allows us to swiftly install it as and when specific client requirements determine. SeeByte has provided us with a comprehensive and responsive level of support throughout the process. In this latest installation to the Normand Oceanic, the team have also proven their competence in addressing and resolving any issues that have arisen on the vessel remotely.”

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Boeing has announced Echo Voyager, the company’s latest unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV), which can operate autonomously for months at a time thanks to a hybrid rechargeable power system and modular payload bay.

The 51-foot-long vehicle is not only autonomous while underway, but it can also be launched and recovered without the support ships that normally assist UUVs. Echo Voyager is the latest in Boeing’s UUV family, joining the 32-foot Echo Seeker and the 18-foot Echo Ranger.

“Echo Voyager is a new approach to how unmanned undersea vehicles will operate and be used in the future,” said Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works. “Our investments in innovative technologies such as autonomous systems are helping our customers affordably meet mission requirements now and in the years to come.”

Echo Voyager will begin sea trials off the California coast later this summer. Boeing has designed and operated manned and unmanned deep sea systems since the 1960s.

“Echo Voyager can collect data while at sea, rise to the surface, and provide information back to users in a near real-time environment,” said Lance Towers, director, Sea & Land, Boeing Phantom Works. “Existing UUVs require a surface ship and crew for day-to-day operations. Echo Voyager eliminates that need and associated costs.”

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Hydroid, a Kongsberg company, has released the ‘New Generation REMUS 100 AUV’. The autonomous underwater vehicle features advanced technology and capabilities that allow for increased autonomy and creativity during missions.

Based on the original REMUS 100 AUV, the new platform features advanced core electronics, a flexible navigation suite with an exclusive conformal Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and an open architecture platform for advanced autonomy. The vehicle was created over two years and is designed based on feedback from the world’s largest AUV user community.

“The New Generation REMUS 100 AUV has impressive capabilities not previously seen on a man-portable vehicle,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Hydroid. “We are confident that we have created a vehicle that fulfills our customers’ needs for leading technology, while maintaining the core offerings of the REMUS brand they have trusted for years. Thanks to the New Generation REMUS 100, we are continuing to pave the way for future unmanned underwater technology.”

The New Generation REMUS 100 AUV

Design upgrades include:

• Advanced Core Electronics: The New Generation REMUS 100 features cutting-edge core electronics (CE) designed to replace not only the previous REMUS motherboard but also the CPU stack, emergency board and six serial cards. The new CE board is smaller and lighter than the components it replaces, and it uses an ARM +FPGA architecture that makes it both potent and versatile while consuming less than 5W of power—about 25 percent of the power required by the earlier version.
• Flexible Navigation Suite: The New Generation REMUS 100 includes an exclusive conformal design, phased array transducer 300kHz DVL in the rear of the vehicle. This design significantly increases bottom-tracking range to improve overall navigation performance. In addition, the REMUS 100 will now be available with a choice of inertial navigation system (INS) to suit each customer’s navigation needs and budget.
• High Capacity Battery Pack: Equipped with two or three (depending on the model) of Hydroid’s latest 18650 Li-Ion based packs, the New Generation REMUS 100 AUVs will carry more energy than ever before. The packs use 3.2Ah Li-Ion cells and have the same electrical configuration as the REMUS 600 pack currently in use.
• Modular Elliptical Nose: The redesigned elliptical nose on the New Generation REMUS 100 can reduce drag by 20 percent. In addition, it’s acoustically transparent, so that the acoustic communications (ACOMMS) transducer can be relocated inside the nose. Because the new nose uses the same modular interface on the existing REMUS 100, it can be easily integrated on both current payload modules and the New Generation REMUS 100.
• Open Architecture: The New Generation REMUS 100 expands on existing REMUS capabilities by adding an open architecture platform for advanced autonomy making the vehicle more versatile. This platform is realized with a publish subscribe database based on a Robotic Operating System (ROS) on a second processor. The new REMUS “front seat” performs control functions using well-tested, reliable proprietary control software. The “back seat” performs mission tasks, such as side scan sonar data logging and extensibility using Hydroid, customer or third party applications.
• The New Generation REMUS 100 is designed so that customers with existing payload modules can have them easily transferred to the new model. Hydroid will continue to support the original REMUS 100 vehicle for customers by request.

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iXBlue, a developer of navigation, positioning and imaging solutions, has announced the launch of ROVINS NANO, a state-of-the-art inertial navigation system designed for ROV navigation. The new system was announced at the Oceanology International trade show.

Based on iXBlue’s fiber-optic gyroscope technology, ROVINS NANO has been designed for ROV pilots performing maintenance and construction operations. It offers the stability and accuracy of the inertial position, outputting true north, roll, pitch and rotation rates. Paul Wysocki, iXBlue ROVINS NANO Product Manager, comments: “ROVINS NANO is able to directly transmit the ROV’s position with extreme accuracy thanks to its integrated INS algorithm capable of collecting acoustic data. This is now possible regardless of the depth at which it is located: it is therefore not just an evolution, but rather a revolution for the Middle Water Station Keeping.”

ROVINS NANO provides a high degree of navigation safety: even in “sparse array” LBL fields, the combination of ROVINS NANO and iXBlue’s RAMSES acoustic system allows for extremely accurate positioning data.

Due to its compactness and open architecture with compatibility for all third-party sensors, ROVINS NANO is easy to integrate.

Wysocki continued: “We are very pleased to offer this unique system on the offshore navigation market. It does meet today’s existing needs and perfectly addresses the operator’s requirements in terms of reliability, ease of use and price.”

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