Community News for September, 2009

UMD explores Lake Superior

September 30, 2009 — via UMD Statesman

The cold, dark waters of Lake Superior contain countless wildlife oddities, but now something even more intriguing can be found in the foreboding depths of the Bay Area.

The Autonomous Underwater Glider (AUG) is the first un-manned machine ever deployed in any of the Great Lakes. It was launched into Lake Superior on Sept. 17 and has been collecting statistics and sending them back to a computer in data reports ever since.

Mark Your Calendars

September 30, 2009 — via AUVSI

AUVSI's Unmanned Systems Program Review 2010
2-4 February 2010
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Washington, D.C., USA

InterRidge – Studying The Mid-Ocean Ridge

September 29, 2009 — via Seadiscovery

The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton is set to coordinate the international exploration of a chain of undersea volcanoes that stretch 60,000 km around the world. From January 2010 until December 2012, the Centre will be the headquarters for InterRidge, the organization that promotes cooperation in scientific studies of the mid-ocean ridge.

Swimmer Defense Team Completes Test

September 29, 2009 — via Seadiscovery

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) personnel completed a week-long test of the second Integrated Swimmer Defense (ISD) User Operational Evaluation System (UOES2), Sept.18 , which is currently in the final stages of development. The NAVSEA team included personnel from field activities Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport and Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. The NAVSEA ISD team is supporting acquisition of an enhanced, deployable ISD capability for the Maritime Expeditionary Security Forces (MESF).

DOF Subsea UK awarded survey contract by Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd

September 28, 2009 — via OilOnline

Aberdeen-based specialist subsea service company DOF Subsea UK has entered into an agreement with Noble Energy to provide offshore hydrographic, geophysical surveying and shallow geotechnical investigation. The work will be carried out onboard the company's vessel the Geosund for the TAMAR & DALIT Field Development Project offshore Israel. The company will also be using their AUV and a third party Geotechnical Spread.

Could Small Springs Beat Batteries?

September 25, 2009 — via Green Design Briefs

MIT scientists have found that carbon nanotubes could be formed into tiny springs capable of storing as much energy, pound for pound, as the best lithium-ion batteries - potentially more durably and reliably.

Carol Livermore, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, found that carbon nanotube springs can potentially store more than a thousand times more energy for their weight than steel springs.

Livermore explains that for some applications, springs can have advantages over other ways of storing energy. Unlike batteries, for example, springs can deliver the stored energy effectively either in a rapid, intense burst, or slowly and steadily over a long period. Also, unlike batteries, stored energy in springs normally doesn't slowly leak away over time.

ISE Celebrates 35Th Anniversary

September 24, 2009 — via Seadiscovery

On August 31st, 2009 International Submarine Engineering Ltd. marked its 35th anniversary, establishing itself as the longest standing contributor to subsea vehicle development. From its Port Coquitlam, BC location, ISE is a leader in the design and development of autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles. The company is also highly regarded within the industry as a systems aintegrator of robotic platforms, and this was recognized with the Joseph F. Engelberger Award for Technology Development in 2000. While the primary focus has always been on marine vehicles (unmanned and manned), ISE also supplies manipulators, hydraulic components and tools for use with other robotic systems

Robot Fish Makes Waves At Bath

September 24, 2009 — via Seadiscovery

Researchers at the University of Bath have used nature for inspiration in designing a new type of swimming robot which could bring a breakthrough in submersible technology. Conventional submarine robots are powered by propellers that are heavy, inefficient and can get tangled in weeds. In contrast ‘Gymnobot’, created by researchers from the Ocean Technologies Lab in the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, is powered by a fin that runs the length of the underside of its rigid body; this undulates to make a wave in the water which propels the robot forwards. The design, inspired by the Amazonian knifefish, is thought to be more energy efficient than conventional propellers and allows the robot to navigate shallow water near the sea shore.

ISE Explorer AUVs to Map Arctic Seabed

September 24, 2009 — via Hydro International

International Submarine Engineering handed over two Explorer Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) on 22nd September 2009 at a ceremony held onboard ISE's research vessel in Indian Arm, BC. The event was attended by Mr. John Weston, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources.

Silicon-nanotube electrodes may enable lithium-ion batteries to store 10 times more charge.

September 23, 2009 — via MIT

Silicon-nanotube electrodes may enable lithium-ion batteries to store 10 times more charge.

In an advance that could help electric vehicles run longer between charges, researchers have shown that silicon nanotube electrodes can store 10 times more charge than the conventional graphite electrodes used in lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers at Stanford University and Hanyang University in Ansan, Korea, are developing the nanotube electrodes in collaboration with LG Chem, a Korean company that makes lithium-ion batteries, including those used in the Chevy Volt. When such a battery is charged, lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode. The new battery electrodes, described online in the journal Nano Letters, are anodes and can store much more energy than conventional graphite electrodes because they absorb much more lithium when the battery is charged.

Exide Onyx(TM) Lithium Ion Batteries to Power Autonomous Undersea Vehicles

September 22, 2009 — via Globe Newswire

Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE) (www.exide.com), a global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions, announces that its Onyx(TM) lithium ion batteries will serve as the power source for two autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs), commissioned by the Canadian federal government. These research vehicles are designed for mapping the continental shelf positioned above the Arctic Ocean's underwater mountains. The results of the full-mission testing, scheduled for launch later this month, are anticipated to help provide Canadian scientists and researchers with more detailed information about the geology of the ocean floor and the extent of the northern edge of Canada's underwater bedrock.
The fully submersible AUVs are manufactured by Exide's customer International Submarine Engineering Ltd. (ISE). Vancouver, British Columbia-based ISE is a world leader in the design and development of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and robotic manipulator systems for land, subsea, and space training applications.

Navy Not Looking To Push the Envelope Too Quickly On UUV/USV Development

September 22, 2009 — via Defense Daily

Unmanned surface and underwater systems pose a number of challenges, everything from how to keep the platforms on station for extended periods of time to bringing on more sophisticated payloads, but whatever approach the Navy pursues, the service is being careful not to rush development, according to a Navy official.

"What we have found is that while there are some technologies that are more mature than others, in general, it's not a technology challenge," Capt. Paul Siegrist, program manager unmanned maritime vehicle systems (PMS-403), told Defense Daily in a recent interview

Looking for predatory crabs in Antarctica

September 21, 2009 — via eurekaAlert

Climate change, warming the waters of Antarctica, is creating an environment for predatory crabs to return to an area they inhabited millions of years ago. Their return would disrupt Antarctica's primeval marine communities.

To look for these crabs in the largely unexplored Antarctic sea bottom in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas, Richard Aronson, professor and head of Florida Institute of Technology's Department of Biological Sciences, has received a $453,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Engineering and Manufacturing Development (E&MD) dated 9 Mar 09 for the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV)

September 21, 2009 — via Fedbizops.gov

Amendment 4 revises the submission due date to 23 Nov 2009 and allows for vehicles greater than 21 inches in diameter.

UMD Launches Unmanned Submarine

September 21, 2009 — via Northlands Newscenter

An unmanned watercraft is lurking in the depths of Lake Superior.
The submarine, launched last week by UMD, is being used to gather data about the Lake.
"We're looking at distribution of temperature and conductivity within the water," said Jay Austin, UMD assistant professor.

SAIC Awarded $19 Million Task Order By Naval Undersea Warfare Center - Newport Division

September 17, 2009 — via SAIC

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has been awarded a prime contract by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) - Newport Division to provide engineering, technical, and management services in support of NUWC's Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) Engineering Facility. The contract has a one year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total value of more than $19 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Newport, R.I.

Sources Sought: Large Unmanned Maritime Vehicles

September 17, 2009 — via US Navy Unmanned Maritime vehicle Program Office, PMS 403

The US Navy's Unmanned Maritime Vehicle Systems Program Office, PMS403, is performing a market survey to determine the potential availability of large Unmanned Maritime Vehicles (UMVs) for dedicated use in the next 12 months to support in-water experimentation with existing or newly integrated payloads and features. PMS403 is requesting this information to ensure that only the most recent and accurate information is considered for future planning. The Navy's interest is in the Large-class of UUVs as defined in the 2004 Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Master Plan, and in the Harbor, Fleet, and Snorkeler class of USVs as defined in the 2007 Unmanned Surface Vehicle Master Plan. The output of this survey will be assessed against Fleet needs in coming years.

Acrobatic Octopus Arm Could Be Model for Flexible Robots

September 17, 2009 — via Wired

Though coordinating eight separate arms might seem a tricky task for an octopus brain, what’s really demanding is controlling the arms’ flexible, infinitely variable movements. Now researchers have figured out part of their secret.

Unlike us, specific regions of an octopus’ motor cortex don’t correspond to specific parts of its body. Instead, each region controls different parts at different times. Their motor neural network seems as flexible as their bodies — a phenomenon that expands the range of neurophysiological possibility, and could refine the design of arm-flexing robots.

290 Acoustic Modems Delivered Within 30 Days

September 16, 2009 — via Seadiscovery

LinkQuest has been busy producing its underwater acoustic modems in the summer of 2009 and has set a company record to ship 290 SoundLink acoustic modems within 30 days. LinkQuest has shipped a large number of long-range deepwater acoustic modems for seabed seismic monitoring applications.

Flexible Mission Infrastructure for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

September 16, 2009 — via Cornell University

AUV Design Paper For the AUVSI Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition First Place winning CUAUV Nova.

NIO plans to commercially market its submarine robot

September 13, 2009 — via Zee News

India's premier ocean research organisation, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), is exploring the possibility of commercially marketing its submarine robot.

The Goa-based institute three years ago has successfully tried and tested autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which can be a substitute for divers to collect data from the bottom of the ocean in dangerous situations.

NIO is now trying to commercially exploit the AUV named Maya after signing a technology commercialisation agreement with VEA Automation and Robotics Private Limited, Coimbatore.

An Unscheduled Repair in the Middle of the Ocean for RU-27

September 12, 2009 — via Rutgers University

Barnacles on hull the culprits for glider malfunction

August 2009 was a rough but ultimately triumphant month for the Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory’s trans-Atlantic glider, RU-27, the Scarlet Knight. After passing the spot where in October 2008 its predecessor, RU-17, was lost, the glider began spinning like a top as it descended and ascended.

Lost Waldo the robot bobs up

September 10, 2009 — via Bradenton Herald

A robot that was AWOL last week from its red tide patrol in Southwest Florida resurfaced at 6:06 a.m. Thursday and once again began signaling its position to Mote scientists.

Mote staff didn't waste a minute before hopping in a boat and recovering the robot, called an autonomous underwater vehicle, or AUV for short. "We're thrilled to have Waldo back," said Gary Kirkpatrick, inventor of the payload the AUV carried to detect red tide. "It's our only AUV currently patrolling for red tide, and it's crucial for studying algae blooms."

Seaglider sets new underwater endurance and range records

September 10, 2009 — via First Science

A University of Washington Seaglider operated for 9 months and 5 days in the Pacific Ocean, an endurance record more than double what any other autonomous underwater vehicle has accomplished on a single mission.

During that time it propelled itself 3,050 miles (more than 4,900 kilometers) through the water of the Northeast Pacific racking up a distance equivalent to crossing the Atlantic Ocean from New England to Europe. Records set include time at sea and distance traveled under its own power.

Waldo found -- Mote's mini-sub that is

September 10, 2009 — via Sarasota Herald Tribune

Waldo has been found -- just 50 feet away from where it vanished on Aug. 31 off the coast of Venice. Mote Marine Laboratory's formerly trusty autonomous underwater vehicle, which patrols coastal waters for signs of red tide, began re-transmitting signals to bewildered scientists at 6:06 a.m. some 11 miles out in the Gulf of New Mexico. Mote staffers quickly converged upon the yellow robotic submarine and recovered it.

Navy suspends due date for SMCM 3 Solicitation

September 9, 2009 — via NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER PANAMA CITY DIVISION

The Navy issued amendment 3 to the System Development And Demonstration (SD&D) Of The Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV) Solicitation to broaden the competition to include vehicles larger than 21 inches in diameter

New Robot Travels Across The Seafloor To Monitor The Impact Of Climate Change On Deep-sea Ecosystems

September 9, 2009 — via Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Like the robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which wheeled tirelessly across the dusty surface of Mars, a new robot spent most of July traveling across the muddy ocean bottom, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the California coast. This robot, the Benthic Rover, has been providing scientists with an entirely new view of life on the deep seafloor. It will also give scientists a way to document the effects of climate change on the deep sea. The Rover is the result of four years of hard work by a team of engineers and scientists led by MBARI project engineer Alana Sherman and marine biologist Ken Smith.

New Unmanned BAE Systems Mini-Submarine to Meet Port and Coastal Waters Security Requirements

September 8, 2009 — via Defence Professionals

Ensuring the security of the world’s ports and harbours is a key requirement of the war on terror, with explosives and other devices attached to the bottom of ships identified as a major potential threat. A new unmanned autonomous mini-submarine developed by BAE Systems uses state-of-the-art sensors and detecting equipment to allow security forces to identify and neutralise these threats before they can be used.
The 50kg vessel, named Talisman L, uses a range of sensors including high-definition forward and sideways looking sonars that enable it to quickly and clearly detect any suspicious items, even in conditions of zero visibility. It can be deployed and retrieved very rapidly from almost any vessel, including rigid inflatable boats.

Where's Waldo? Robot goes missing

September 4, 2009 — via WZVN TV Fort Meyers Florida

Where's Waldo? Scientists at the Mote Marine Laboratory don't know and now they need your help.

Researchers are looking in the waters off Southwest Florida for "Waldo," an underwater robot that went missing in late July.

The robot, an autonomous underwater vehicle, or AUV, had been searching for signs of red tide off the coast of Venice when it stopped sending scientists a signal on July 31.

Woods Hole to build ocean research stations

September 4, 2009 — via South Coast Today

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is set to begin construction on a series of underwater data collection stations researchers hope will improve their understanding of the ocean's role in climate change, storm predictions and weather forecasts.

In 2007, WHOI received nearly $100 million in grant money from the National Science Foundation to participate in the agency's $385 million Ocean Observatories Initiative. Working with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California and Oregon State University's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, WHOI will help develop, install and operate a network of underwater observatories that will provide scientists with unfettered access and real-time data about complex ocean processes.

Part of vast ocean observing network will be in Newport

September 2, 2009 — via Portland Oregonian

OSUOSU scientists will build an ocean array of instruments and gliders off the coast of Newport as their part of a $386 million ocean observatory network.Not long after landing the Pacific fleet of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Newport is getting another feather in its cap.The coast city will soon be home to one piece of a $386 million world-wide ocean observing network announced today.

OSU gets $14 million for ocean research

September 2, 2009 — via Corvalis Gazette Times

Oregon State University will receive about $14 million over the next five years to help create a global ocean observing network - the Ocean Observatories Initiative.

OSU will operate and develop three observatory sites off Newport and three sites off Grays Harbor, Wash., as part of the $386.4 million project.

The university will deploy a system of surface moorings, seafloor platforms and undersea gliders that will give scientists an unprecedented look at how the ocean responds to changes in climate, whether those are natural or triggered by human activity.

Bluefin Robotics to move HQ

September 1, 2009 — via Boston Business Journal

Bluefin Robotics will move its Bay State headquarters from Cambridge to Quincy with the signing of a 53,000-square-foot lease in the Quincy Shipyard.