EcoCAM - a new 4K camera from ecoSUB Robotics

EcoCAM is a new 4K camera developed by ecoSUB Robotics. It is integrated into the ecoSUBm5-Power+ AUV system. The camera uses a 1.1-inch Sony IMX267 CMOS sensor with a global shutter, which eliminates the rolling shutter effect, resulting in sharper images of moving objects and improved color reproduction. The camera also features a fixed Computar 8mm lens and can output video at 8.85 megapixels (4096 x 2160) at 33 frames per second.

The camera connects to the AUV using a Subsea USBC connector from Blue Logic AS, which is waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and low-power.

Data from the camera is collected by the Jetson Orin Nano single-board computer, which is also included in the system. This allows the EcoCAM to be used in computer vision applications, as the Jetson Orin can also be used for edge computing. For example, it can be used to develop autonomous docking systems.

The EcoCAM module can be used at depths of up to 2,500 meters on ecoSUBm-series AUVs. The camera is mounted in a nose cone that allows it to be oriented forward or downward.

The EcoCAM camera can be complemented by a side-scan sonar, DVL, acoustic modem for underwater communications, and USBL (underwater sound beacon locator).  

Source: ecosub.uk

Saronic raises $55M to develop drones for the US Navy

American company Saronic has raised funding of about $55 million to develop marine drones Corsair and scale the production of Spyglass and Cutlass. These drones are equipped with remotely updateable software and can carry a variety of payloads in environments where there is no communication or GPS. The drones are designed for autonomous navigation and decision-making in real time in the marine environment, as well as for other actions in swarm groups.

Spyglass is equipped with sensors and a compartment for a customizable payload. The drone is designed for reconnaissance and the execution of specific missions. The range of the drone reaches 30 nautical miles, the maximum speed is about 15 knots.

Cutlass is ready to move away from the carrier ship at a distance of up to 300 nautical miles with a maximum speed of up to 20 knots. The drone carries payloads weighing up to 90 kg and can act as a reconnaissance vehicle, a repeater, and even a platform for launching loitering munitions.

The key advantages of the drones are the minimal costs at all stages of the life cycle and the serious potential for scalability. The drones are designed to eliminate the bottlenecks and weaknesses of traditional American shipbuilding.

Source: therobotreport.com; image source: saronic.com

Saildrone: 48 circumnavigations, 89 years at sea

California-based company Saildrone reported a milestone - a fleet of maritime drones has traveled a total of 1 million nautical miles, and the total duration of missions has reached 32,000 days. For comparison, these figures are equivalent to approximately 48 circumnavigations and 89 years at sea per vessel.

While it may seem like just a publicity stunt, Saildrone's electric autonomous boats are actively being used in the interests of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States to collect data on climate change and to map the seabed. Saildrone's fleet consists of 136 devices of three types.

Sources: dronedj.com; image source: saildrone.com

Tethys Robotics has developed a new mini-ROV with a Nortek DVL500 Compact DVL sensor

The use of this component, a Doppler velocity sensor, has improved the accuracy of positioning and navigation.

Swiss company Tethis Robotics has launched a small ROV and equipped it with a DVL500 Compact DVL sensor. The company claims that this has allowed the small ROV to achieve good results in terms of autonomous position holding, even in currents that are noticeable to the robot.

I have translated the text as literally as possible, while still maintaining the meaning of the original. I have also used the same tenses and grammatical structures as the original text. 

Source: news.cision.com

Square Robots raises $5M to develop inspection robots

American company Square Robots has raised funding of around $5 million to produce underwater robots for inspecting tanks used in the oil and gas complex. The company is expected to expand its mini-fleet to 11 SR-1 units. The company's mission is to exclude people from the most dangerous inspection processes. The robot not only inspects tanks, but also cleans them of sediment, improving the quality of analysis.

Square Robots robots are provided to customers with teams of three specialists. The systems are suitable for inspecting tanks with oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, ethanol, water, and other liquids.

In the next 5-10 years, the company expects to expand its robot fleet to 100+ units.

Source: therobotreport.com  

Ocean Aero Moves to Gulfport and Prepares to Scale Up Production

Ocean Aero is known for its production of original underwater and surface vehicles, Triton. These electric boats, powered by photovoltaic batteries, can sail under a built-in sail on the surface of a river or sea, and, folding the sail, move underwater in submarine mode.

Photo: Ocean Aero

With such characteristics, Triton is undoubtedly a multi-purpose device - it is used with equal enthusiasm by both the scientific community and the military. The devices can collect various data in both surface and underwater states, be used for covert reconnaissance or for striking.

Photo: Ocean Aero

Now, it seems, the interest in Ocean Aero products has grown precisely from the military. So far, the company has produced 46 of its AUSVs, increasing its staff from 17 to 65 employees. The move from San Diego, California to Gulfport, Mississippi is related to further scaling. The plant in Gulfport allows, if necessary, to increase the staff to 500 people, which would allow the production of up to 600 Triton vehicles per year.

Photo: Ocean Aero

Brief characteristics of the device:

  -  working depths - up to 100m

  -  surface speed: 5+ knots

  -  in semi-submerged state: 2+ knots

  -  weight: 350 kg

  -  length: 4.4 m

  -  from the waterline to the top of the mast - 3 m

  -  from the keel to the waterline - 1.5 m

  -  hull width - 0.8 m

  -  battery power - 4 kWh

  -  solar panel power: 470 W (300 W + effective)

  -  payload (in the hull) - 22.7 kg

  -  payload (wing) - 11.3 kg

  -  autonomous use time on the surface - 14-30 days;

  -  autonomous use time in submerged state: 8+ days (at minimum power)

  -  ability to work in waves up to 3 points

  -  ability to survive in waves up to 5+ points

👉  Youtube 

Source: WDAM ; Ocean Aero 

#AUSV #OceanAero

The Nucleus1000 navigation sensor suite now has full INS

 The Nucleus1000 navigation sensor suite now has full INS (inertial navigation system) capabilities, enabling absolute position outputs. It can be used in small AUVs, ROVs, and USVs for navigation (latitude/longitude or X/Y output).

The Nucleus only needs to be provided with a GPS position to begin navigating using absolute positioning.

Source: oceanroboticsplanet.com

Commercial Licensing Expands Access to Innovative MBARI LRAUV Technology

The MBARI LRAUV is an innovative, field-ready autonomous robot that can be launched from a ship or from shore. It has an ultra-low power transit mode that enables shore-based operations with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). 

The MBARI LRAUV has more than 40,000 hours of sea time and has demonstrated remarkable mission capabilities, from sampling the genetic fingerprints of marine life to monitoring harmful algal blooms to detecting and mapping oil spills.

Under its Autonomous and Undersea Systems Division, Saab will transition the MBARI LRAUV to commercial production offering this product for global sales for the oceanographic research, commercial, and military markets.

The LRAUV is about two meters (6.6 feet) long, 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter, and weighs 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds). It is capable of larger, more powerful payloads and can operate in higher currents than oceanographic buoyancy-driven gliders. The LRAUV can be outfitted with a variety of payloads, including microbial sampling, bioluminescence, active bio-acoustic imaging, water sampling, plankton imaging, and multibeam mapping.

Licensing the LRAUV technology to Saab, Inc. for commercial production brings us closer to MBARI's vision for an autonomous future for ocean exploration.  

Source: oceanroboticsplanet.com 

Zelim Teams Up with US Coast Guard to Trial AI in Search & Rescue

The US Coast Guard and Zelim, a Scottish start-up, have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to trial AI-enabled detection and tracking technology in search and rescue (SAR).

Finding someone in the water is a fundamental challenge for SAR teams. Zelim's ZOE solution uses AI to detect and track people, boats, or target objects in the water in any conditions.

The US Coast Guard is interested in harnessing rapidly advancing technologies, including AI and machine learning, to improve mission execution. The ability to detect, locate, characterize, identify, and track people or objects in the water in near or real-time has the potential to improve mission support.

The overarching objective of the CRADA is to determine methods to evaluate the effectiveness of AI technology with unclassified optical sensors in various environmental conditions.

The trial is a significant step forward in the development of AI-powered SAR technologies. It has the potential to improve the effectiveness of SAR operations and save lives. 

Seabed 2030 and SEABER announce new partnership advancing ocean exploration

Partners will develop and manufacture micro AUVs for ocean research and commercial missions.

The project aims to create a complete and comprehensive map of the world's ocean floor and to include bathymetric data in the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map.

SEABER produces "micro AUVs" that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters for 8-10 hours. YUCO is designed for operations near the continental shelf and can carry a variety of scientific instruments. The drones are characterized by a user-friendly interface and "affordable prices."

Israeli underwater robots win sustainable fishing contest

The University of Haifa has developed a swarm of low-cost underwater robots that can be used to prevent overfishing and harm to marine ecosystems

The robots coordinate with each other to acoustically detect and estimate fish populations. This technology has the potential to help ensure the sustainability of fisheries around the world.

The project was awarded a grant from Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation led by former Google CEO Eric and his wife Wendy Schmidt. The Schmitts awarded a total of $3.5 million in grants to 10 organizations and universities around the world that are working to develop new technologies to protect the ocean.

The University of Haifa's project is one of many examples of how innovative technologies are being used to address the challenges facing the ocean today. By developing new ways to monitor and protect marine ecosystems, we can help ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the ocean. 

National Science Foundation to fund $1.5 million project to develop underwater robot swarm for studying ice shelves

A team of researchers from Oregon State University will lead a three-year, $1.5 million project to develop and test an underwater robot swarm for studying ice shelves. The robots will be able to collect critical data on the size of ice cavities and the properties of the surrounding environment.

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. The project aims to advance underwater research in enclosed and difficult-to-access environments, such as cavities beneath ice shelves.

Image source: WVU researcher helping to deploy robots underwater (kolotv.com) 

Working in water under ice is particularly challenging, as communication in these conditions is difficult and there is no direct access to the surface to retrieve a submarine robot. Scientists need robots that can enter these spaces and then return safely.

The working concept is a system that includes a large underwater mothership that carries and can deploy a swarm of small AUVs, which can disperse and explore the waters beneath a melting ice shelf or in other difficult-to-reach locations. The robots will be able to operate autonomously and make decisions based on the surrounding conditions.

The project will involve the development of a system for deploying and retrieving the swarm of small AUVs from the mothership, the development of equipment and protocols for communication and positioning in underwater conditions, and algorithms for navigation and decision-making that allow the robots to adapt their behavior and data collection to the conditions they encounter.

Over the next three years, researchers plan to conduct a series of tests in water, including tests in a frozen lake in Oregon.

If the challenge can be solved in the most challenging underwater environment, the development could be effectively used in a number of other conditions, such as in coastal waters, where a swarm of small AUVs could be effectively used for sampling.

Rover technologies are already well known for aerial and terrestrial environments, but off-the-shelf solutions do not work in underwater-underice environments.

The research team also includes Phil Landrigan from Brigham Young University; Atsushi Muto from Temple University; Nicholas Ripkema from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Yu She from Purdue University; and Si Yu from West Virginia University. 

Ocean Infinity's underwater robots will help Equinor develop wind energy

Ocean Infinity, a company specializing in the use of robotic technologies in the maritime industry, has announced a contract with Equinor Wind US LLC. The agreement involves the creation of a floating offshore wind farm off the west coast of the United States.

AUV Hugin, Ocean Infinity

Based in Austin, USA, Ocean Infinity develops unmanned surface vessels and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The company has about 20 AUVs. According to the company's statement, several AUVs will be used in the project simultaneously, and the data obtained will be used to make informed decisions during the planning and construction phases of the wind farm with a floating platform. Cean Infinity will be responsible for the actual construction of the floating offshore wind farm. 

AUV Hugin, Ocean Infinity

The construction of the floating offshore wind farm is expected to take place in several stages, starting with site preparation and ending with equipment installation and commissioning. Throughout the process, Ocean Infinity will provide its AUVs for data collection to create an SAP - site assessment plan and COP - construction and operation plan. The working depths at the site range from 974 to 1317 meters. The project is set to begin in February 2024. \\ 

Britain to showcase XLAUV demonstrator in second half of 2024

BAE Systems, the largest defense company in the United Kingdom, has announced a partnership with another English company -  Cellula Robotics. In this collaboration, the two partners will showcase the capabilities of the XLAUV, also known as Herne. The demonstrator will submerge in the second half of 2024.

image source: baesystems.com

Herne is positioned as an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle with extensive customization and modification capabilities. The XLAUV will be much more stealthy than most submarines. The drone will be capable of carrying lightweight towed sonar array or other underwater crafts, including those designed for mine countermeasures.

Autonomous platforms will engage in monitoring large underwater territories and assisting the fleet in avoiding the limitations of manned and highly expensive platforms. Developers highlight Herne's flexibility and extended persistence. The platform is expected to participate in anti-submarine operations, in conjunction with electronic warfare measures, as well ISR.

The demonstrator will show the capabilities of BAE Systems' technology on one of Cellula Robotics' underwater drones. Production of Herne is anticipated to commence within the next 3-5 years.

source: baesystems.com  

Miniature AUVs will conduct under-ice exploration in space

Scientists believe that there may be oceans hidden beneath the icy surfaces of Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. Exploring these bodies of water could lead to new scientific discoveries, but it is a complex engineering challenge that will be addressed by the TRIPLE project. The abbreviation TRIPLE stands for "Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and Exploration of Subglacial Lakes."

The TRIPLE-nanoAUV 2 project, coordinated by MARUM, aims to solve technological challenges related to creating underwater AUVs for research on the moons of other planets. This is one of several projects, including TRIPLE-GNC and TRIPLE-LifeDetect. The developments will be tested during field trials scheduled for 2026 under the Antarctic ice shelf near the Neumayer III station.

Graphic: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen.

MARUM, together with partners from the aerospace and underwater acoustics fields, will develop the nano-AUVs. An LRS (Launch and Recovery System) will also be developed to allow the nano-AUVs to dock with the underwater part of the station to transmit collected data and recharge their batteries. As a special probe will provide access to ice up to 4,000 meters thick, the underwater vehicle will be unusually small, measuring approximately half a meter in length and 10 cm in diameter.

Planned demonstration of the TRIPLE system at the Neumayer III Station (Antarctica) (Credits: Maximilian Nitsch/RWTH Aachen University).

During testing, the system will have to penetrate 100 meters of Antarctic ice, for which the TRIPLE-IceCraft system has already been developed. The navigation and control system TRIPLE-GNC and the scientific payload TRIPLE-LifeDetect are yet to be developed.

MARUM and the University of Bremen are coordinating the current project with partners from DSI Aerospace Technologie GmbH in Bremen and EvoLogics GmbH in Berlin. The total funding volume for the project is 2.68 million euros until September 2026.

Cellula Robotics Initiates Sea Trials of its Solus-XR XLUUV System

The Solus-XR AUV from Cellula Robotics is set to revolutionize underwater exploration and research. With its hydrogen fuel cell technology, this ultra-large class unmanned vehicle is capable of traveling up to 5,000 km without support vessels, making it ideal for missions under the ice. Sea trials have been underway since late August 2023 off the coast of West Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Solus-XR is already being hailed as one of Canada's largest unmanned underwater vehicles ever created.

photo: Cellula Robotics

Designed as an upgrade to the Solus-LR device, the Solus-XR boasts impressive capabilities that make it stand out from other underwater vehicles. Its ability to move along the route "from port to port" means it can operate without the support of a port, making it an invaluable tool for a range of missions. During sea trials, the Solus-XR's surface characteristics and autonomy in a dynamic marine environment will be tested, paving the way for future underwater exploration.

photo: Cellula Robotics

Looking ahead, Cellula Robotics plans to conduct demonstration missions in 2024 to showcase the full range of Solus-XR capabilities in real-world scenarios. With its cutting-edge technology and impressive capabilities, the Solus-XR is set to change the face of underwater exploration and research. \\ 

Mocean Energy to build wave power station

Edinburgh-based company Mocean Energy has received £3.2m in European funding for a project to create a “green” energy source at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) on the Orkney archipelago in northern Scotland by 2030. The project will involve the construction of a wave power station with a capacity of between 1 MW and 2 MW based on Blue Horizon 250 devices (with a capacity of 250 kW).

Blue Horizon 250, render - Mocean Energy

Mocean Energy already has experience in creating a 10 kW prototype wave power station, Mocean Blue X. 

Blue X, photo - Mocean Energy

Blue X, photo - Mocean Energy

The interaction between Blue X and the underwater Halo battery system developed by Verlume was tested. This infrastructure provides power for Transmark Subsea’s resident AUVs.

Blue X, render - Mocean Energy

The principle of operation of the wave power station can be described as follows: a float with wave channels at the ends captures the power of sea waves. Direct drive Vernier Hybrid Machine generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy at very low speeds.

Such autonomous wave power stations can replace diesel generator-based systems currently used, for example, on offshore platforms, in marine aquaculture, and in remote island communities. And, of course, this source of energy can be used to power underwater charging stations for resident underwater robots.

Another example is the useful tandem of surface and underwater marine robots. If, of course, the wave power station is considered a surface robot. \\

Oceaneering will acquire DriX USV for deepwater surveys

Oceaneering International, a Norway-based company that provides various underwater services, announced this week its plans to purchase its first unmanned surface vehicle (USV) DriX from Exail. DriX (youtube) is expected to be used to support deepwater geophysical surveys and asset inspections, including autonomous positioning of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV), shelf and near-shelf surveys. 

Photo:  oceaneering.com 

The use of USV is expected to help Oceaneering increase operational efficiency, reducing mission time. The USV will provide ROV positioning based on a satellite positioning system with dual independent correction using the C-NAV Oceaneering system (youtube). This will allow for longer ROV surveys without the need for intermediate resurfacing, and improve data reliability. 

The DriX USV was introduced in 2016. The vehicle is capable of autonomous operations under the control of CortiX software based on AI and modern sensors.

• Length: 7,71 m
• Width: 0.824 m
• Height: 3.2 m
• Displacement: 1.4 t
• Hull material: carbon-kevlar composite material
• Weight: 1380 kg
• Power plant: 38 hp diesel engine
• Fuel tank: 250 l (average consumption: 2 l/h)
• Propulsion: one straight shaft with one fixed propeller

It is expected that DriX will be able to work in conjunction with Oceaneering ROVs in open sea conditions up to sea state 5 without compromising data quality. 

Thus, it involves a combination of surface and underwater robots, allowing for remote underwater surveys without losing positioning accuracy.

More information about DriX: https://geo-matching.com/products/drix 

Source:  oceaneering.com 

AUVs will recharge without a mothership

The US Department of Defense is testing hydrogen fuel cells that have the potential to significantly increase the autonomy of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and minimize their dependence on shore infrastructure and mother ships. The project was launched in August 2023, and the tests are scheduled to begin in early 2024.

    image source: saab.com 

The US Department of Defense is testing hydrogen fuel cells that have the potential to significantly increase the autonomy of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and minimize their dependence on shore infrastructure and mother ships. The project was launched in August 2023, and the tests are scheduled to begin in early 2024.

The American company Hibbard Inshore has prepared a hybrid version of the Saab Sabertooth - the AUV received the Subsea Supercharger system developed by Teledyne Energy Systems. It is expected that the implementation of fuel cells will increase the autonomy and range of the system, minimize the need for support ships and cut operation costs.

The deployment of hydrogen fuel cells - enhanced AUVs is complicated by a number of issues related to the need to store hydrogen and oxygen, provide buoyancy and trim in deep-water environments. The condensate formed during the operation of fuel cells in a sealed container can easily damage electronics, and the generated inert gases increase internal pressure. Most problems occur during system startup and shutdown - the moments when gases need to be removed from the anode and cathode loops. A trivial task, long solved on land, requires fundamentally new approaches for implementation in the underwater environment, and most importantly - in the enclosed environment of AUVs.

The integration of hydrogen fuel cells into AUVs promises significant expansion of their capabilities and numerous new areas for their potential application.

Source: naval-technology.com  

Is the idea of using solar energy in underwater exploration viable?

At first glance, the idea may not seem promising. After all, how much solar energy can penetrate through the thickness of water? It is well known that eternal darkness reigns at depth. Nevertheless, researchers from Tandon University in New York have been considering the prospects of photovoltaics in exploring the world's oceans using autonomous and remotely operated underwater robots. Source: Nature Photonic https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01276-z 

Underwater robots are an excellent tool for scientists to conduct various underwater explorations. However, the autonomy of robots is limited by the need for constant recharging. Often, onboard power sources are not installed on remotely operated vehicles, forcing them to rely on power supplied through cables from accompanying vessels.

The Tandon researchers are considering creating alternative power systems for autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles that would allow them to surface less frequently for recharging. Moreover, underwater power sources would also be useful for underwater sensors, navigation, and communication systems, reducing their dependence on battery resources or eliminating the need to run power cables to them.

Research has shown that using waves, tides, and currents for underwater exploration has potential, but their effectiveness depends on location and can limit mobility. Thermal energy from the ocean and temperature gradients are also options, but they have limited potential for stationary underwater devices. However, sunlight has potential as visible light can penetrate up to 50 meters deep, providing energy for recharging underwater robots and electronic devices. 

One issue with using photovoltaic cells underwater is that common ones are optimized for red and infrared light, reducing their efficiency underwater. Alternative options such as gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels show higher efficiency in ocean conditions, as well as organic (OSC) and perovskite cells. 

Biofouling is another issue as research has shown that after just 30 days, over 50% of the absorbing surface of underwater panels is affected, reducing their efficiency. This problem is more significant in tropical waters but becomes less of an issue at higher latitudes, making the idea viable in Arctic waters. 

While a final answer to the question of using solar energy in underwater exploration is premature, the idea of using photovoltaics to create underwater solar power stations may be worth further investigation.  \\