Robotics & Automation News

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Marine

Blueprint Lab secures Australian Government contract to develop advanced robotic clearance diver technology

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The Australian government has made a $19 million investment in multiple companies for technology protecting Australian Defence Force members.

As part of this, Blueprint Lab has been awarded $1.04 million to develop remote operation systems for underwater expeditions as part of this investment.

The investment will allow the company to fast-track innovation on its world-first remote intervention manipulator systems. [Read more…] about Blueprint Lab secures Australian Government contract to develop advanced robotic clearance diver technology

Nauticus Robotics launches ‘pioneering’ underwater robot fleet system for offshore industry

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Nauticus Robotics, a Houston-area developer of subsea and surface robotic services using autonomy software, has launched the initial production run of Nauticus Fleet, a robotic navy of 20 Hydronaut-Aquanaut pairs.

These tandem pairs will be deployed in multiple offshore industries serving applications ranging from subsea maintenance and intervention to data collection activities.

These first sets of robots will be delivered in Q4 2022, with the remainder being fulfilled by the end of 2024. [Read more…] about Nauticus Robotics launches ‘pioneering’ underwater robot fleet system for offshore industry

Marine robotics specialist Vaarst raises $20 million to expand

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Marine robotics specialist Vaarst has closed on the first $20 million of its Series B round led by energy transition investor Legal & General Capital, alongside the venture capital arm of the international energy company Equinor.

Existing shareholder Foresight Group also participated alongside In-Q-Tel, the strategic investor for the US intelligence and defence communities and allied nations.

Vaarst is a leading provider of autonomy and cloud managed robotics; supporting the offshore wind, wave & tidal, scientific, maritime security, and civils industries. [Read more…] about Marine robotics specialist Vaarst raises $20 million to expand

Oceaneering chooses BlueBotics navigation technology 
for new product lines

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Oceaneering International has chosen BlueBotics to provide navigation technology for its line of industrial autonomous mobile robots.

Henny Bouwmeester, vice president and general manager of Oceaneering Mobile Robotics, says: “Our goal is to unlock the full potential of mobile robotics and enable widespread adoption in all industries.

“To achieve this, our technology offering needs to be accessible, easy-to-use, and flexible to accommodate our client’s needs. [Read more…] about Oceaneering chooses BlueBotics navigation technology 
for new product lines

Advanced Navigation launches AI-powered autonomous undersea robot

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Advanced Navigation, a manufacturer of artificial intelligence-based navigation and robotics systems, has launched Hydrus, an autonomous subsea robot that combines “the most advanced navigation, sonar and communication capabilities of any autonomous underwater vessel”.

This advanced technology is combined with a 4K 60 camera in an “incredibly small form factor”.

Advanced Navigation says Hydrus “hugely simplifies” underwater data collection and inspection and overcomes many existing cost barriers. [Read more…] about Advanced Navigation launches AI-powered autonomous undersea robot

Saildrone develops ‘next generation ocean data products’ with Siemens Xcelerator as a Service

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Siemens Digital Industries Software says that Saildrone, a California-based company that designs, manufactures, and operates a fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), has adopted Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, including cloud-enabled Xcelerator as a Service solution, enabling it to innovate faster and more collaboratively across the entire organization without the burden of a traditional IT infrastructure. (See video below.)

Saildrone has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio for product design, engineering and manufacturing, including NX software for 3D product engineering and Teamcenter® X for product lifecycle management (PLM).

The interoperability offered by Siemens Xcelerator enables Saildrone to easily integrate mechanical and electronic design information. In addition to helping manage product engineering complexity, Saildrone has used Teamcenter X to improve data and collaboration between disciplines. [Read more…] about Saildrone develops ‘next generation ocean data products’ with Siemens Xcelerator as a Service

Open Ocean Robotics raises $4 million to develop autonomous boat

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Open Ocean Robotics has completed a $4 million round of seed financing to advance its marine robotics and ocean data analytics platform.

This included a $2.8 million non-dilutive investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, an agency of the Canadian government, and $1.2 million from a syndicate of international investors including Rhiza Capital and Cindicates.

This funding enables the company to accelerate the development of its solar powered autonomous uncrewed surface vehicle technology and ocean data analytics platform for maritime monitoring. [Read more…] about Open Ocean Robotics raises $4 million to develop autonomous boat

Volarious demonstrates drone that can accompany boats

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Volarious has demonstrated a new tethered drone system that enables the DJI Mavic 2 drone to autonomously take off, follow, and land safely on small vessels.

Firefighters and police drone team has been using the V-Line tethered system for the Mavic 2 drone in a variety of situation on land. The Volarious product is called the V-Line boat mode.

It can also be used in coastline surveillance, search and rescue operations. A drone can take off, follow, and land on small vessels autonomously while providing a real-time elevated view of high resolution thermal and RGB images and video streams at the comfort of the cabin. [Read more…] about Volarious demonstrates drone that can accompany boats

Nauticus Robotics valued at more than $500 million as it becomes publicly traded company via merger with CleanTech

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Nauticus Robotics, a Houston-based developer of cloud-based surface and subsea robots, software, and associated services, and CleanTech Acquisition, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, have entered into a definitive business combination agreement that will result in Nauticus becoming a publicly listed company.

Upon closing of the transaction, CleanTech Acquisition (CLAQ) will be renamed Nauticus Robotics and is expected to remain listed on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol “KITT”. Nauticus is being valued at more than $500 million.

Nauticus develops revolutionary cloud-based autonomy software to enable a smarter and more sustainable ocean industry using its fleet of autonomous robots from the surface to the seabed. [Read more…] about Nauticus Robotics valued at more than $500 million as it becomes publicly traded company via merger with CleanTech

Sea Machines Robotics and HamiltonJet unveil new autonomous vessel technology

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Sea Machines Robotics and HamiltonJet, a marine propulsion systems provider, have launched a new intelligent voyage control product, named JETsense, that utilizes autonomous navigation, multi-sensor fusion and computer vision.

The two companies say the new system is designed to “move waterjet vessels to the forefront of 21st century navigation and utility”.

JETsense utilizes artificial intelligence and advanced autonomy to perceive the domain and maintain precise control of steering and speed during a voyage and re-route to avoid traffic and obstacles, while enabling a new level of streaming data to improve on-water operations.

This new HamiltonJet product, which features Sea Machines’ technology at its core, is the culmination of a partnership announced earlier this year to offer a helm-based system to advise, safeguard or assume active control of open water vessel transits. [Read more…] about Sea Machines Robotics and HamiltonJet unveil new autonomous vessel technology