The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Oscilla Power Inc., a company focused on developing advanced technology to extract energy from ocean waves, a $200,000 grant to further develop technology that enables AUVs to recharge themselves using ocean waves.
Through their Rotary and Mission Systems group, Oscilla Power will work with Lockheed Martin during this Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) project to explore how they can equip their AUV and UUV systems with this capability.
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Teledyne Marine's Silbo AUV completes four-year journey that circumnavigated Atlantic Ocean in four legs
Teledyne Marine has announced that Silbo, its Slocum G2 Glider, recently completed a four-plus year journey that circumnavigated the Atlantic Ocean in four legs, which is considered a first for an AUV.
Manufactured by Teledyne Webb Research, Silbo was named in honor of its 2011 maiden voyage from Teledyne Gavia in Iceland to the Canary Islands, which is a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa. Silbo then went on to complete a western crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
In preparation to circle the Atlantic Ocean, Silbo was updated in 2016 at the Teledyne factory with an extended energy bay and thruster.
Ocean Infinity deploys AUVs to collect high-resolution geophysical and geotechnical data in Guyana
Ocean Infinity has announced that it has successfully completed its recent project for ExxonMobil within the Stabroek block offshore Guyana.
During the project, multiple AUVs were deployed simultaneously in water depths between 70 meters and 2,150 meters over an area of approximately 3,100 square kilometers to acquire high-resolution geophysical and geotechnical data.
Ocean Infinity says that the approach of autonomous operations at scale ensured that the data was gathered at “an industry-leading pace” and with a significant reduction in environmental impacts compared to conventional survey methods.
Weekend Roundup: July 10, 2020
This Week (and last week) in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Parrot has made several announcements over the last few weeks. Last week, the company announced the launch of its ANAFI USA drone, which is designed for first responders and enterprise professionals. This week, the company announced partnerships with Hoverseen and the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), respectively.
Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group acquires BlueComm undersea communications system
As part of its ongoing program in maritime autonomous systems (MAS), Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) has acquired a BlueComm undersea communications system from Sonardyne International Ltd.
According to Sonardyne, BlueComm is the only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology that enables wireless transmission of high bandwidth tactical data—including video—over ranges of a few tens or even hundreds of meters, at rates of up to 10 megabits per second.
Sonardyne demonstrates tech that will help autonomous vehicle ops in challenging environments
Under a project funded by the UK’s national Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Sonardyne International Ltd. demonstrated technologies that it says will help autonomous vehicle operations in challenging environments.
Sonardyne worked with a 12-meter-long SEA-KIT X class USV, and tested and validated sensors already used by UUVs for use on USVs in support of missions in coastal waters.
The SEA-KIT X was equipped with Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav hybrid inertial navigation instrument, which was tested against local real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS positioning as part of the DASA program to fast-track autonomous vehicle capability in challenging or harsh conditions.
Dive Technologies announces partnership to support development and testing of its AUV
Boston-based subsea robotics designer and manufacturer Dive Technologies Inc. has announced a formal partnership with the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics at Virginia Tech.
The multi-year partnership will directly support the rapid development and testing of Dive Technologies’ large, novel AUV. Sea testing of the commercial product is scheduled for this summer.
“Leveraging the expertise of the Virginia Tech team has really pushed our AUV design forward in a uniquely innovative way and has created immense efficiency in our development schedule,” says Bill Lebo, co-founder and CTO of Dive Technologies.
2G Robotics launches line of payloads for light, modular AUVs
2G Robotics has launched a line of payloads that can be used on light, modular AUVs.
The RECON line of products includes the RECON CS, which is a 4K stills camera and LED lightbar payload, as well as the RECON LS, which is a payload that features the ULS-500 Micro laser scanner and Micro OBSERVER stills camera.
“We have proven this as a viable inspection solution for man-portable AUVs for commercial and naval mine countermeasure (MCM) applications,” says Chris Gilson, Product Development manager for 2G Robotics.
“This removes the final barrier to adoption of these small vehicles and could revolutionize the cost effectiveness of high accuracy inspection operations.”
Kongsberg Maritime develops new Launch and Recovery System for HUGIN AUVs
To facilitate a series of “far-reaching operational improvements,” Kongsberg Maritime has developed a new Launch and Recovery System (LARS) for its HUGIN range of AUVs.
According to Kongsberg, LARS is a result of a “uniquely integrated combination of advanced in-house technologies” that the Kongsberg Group offers, which have been reinforced with years of accumulated expertise. LARS is expected to operate from midships, with the release and capture of HUGIN marine robots occurring beneath the sea surface.
“There is limitless scope in this new LARS design,” says Bjørn Gjelstad, Marine Robotics R&D manager, Kongsberg Maritime.
Huntington Ingalls Industries closes acquisition of Hydroid Inc.
On Thursday, March 26, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that it had closed its acquisition of Hydroid Inc. HII says that the acquisition expands its capabilities in the “strategically important and rapidly growing” autonomous and unmanned maritime systems market.
Hydroid will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions Unmanned Systems business unit, which now includes UUVs such as the Orca extra-large UUV. The addition of Hydroid expands HII’s capabilities in the medium and small UUV space, with the inclusion of vehicles such as the REMUS and Seaglider AUVs, as well as marine robots.