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marine

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

MassRobotics partners with Abu Dhabi organization for $3 million prize competition

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MassRobotics is partnering with a group from Abu Dhabi to organize another biennial edition of the MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge, also known as the Mohammed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge.

The organizers say it is a global competition “designed to push the boundaries of autonomous robotics” and features a total prize purse of over $3 million.

The challenge, open to universities, research centers, companies, and individual innovators, calls for collaboration between unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles to perform complex navigation and manipulation tasks in a GNSS-denied environment at sea to detect unfriendly vessels and move or capture cargo. [Read more…] about MassRobotics partners with Abu Dhabi organization for $3 million prize competition

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

Sea Machines completes ‘world’s first’ 1,000 nautical mile autonomous voyage

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Sea Machines Robotics​​​​, a developer of autonomous command and control systems for the maritime industry, has completed what is believed to be the world’s first 1,000+ nautical miles autonomous and remotely commanded journey of a commercial vessel at sea.

Under the project name The Machine Odyssey, the autonomous tug Nellie Bly completed its journey in just 129 operational hours over 13 days.

The program was commanded by US Coast Guard-licensed mariners remotely stationed 3,000 miles away in Boston, many of whom are also members of the American Maritime Officers union. [Read more…] about Sea Machines completes ‘world’s first’ 1,000 nautical mile autonomous voyage

Rolls-Royce and Sea Machines partner to develop smart ship and autonomous ship control solutions

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Rolls-Royce and Sea Machines Robotics have agreed a collaboration that they say will deliver “comprehensive remote command, autonomous control and intelligent crew support systems to the marine market” and complement Rolls-Royce’s mtu NautIQ marine automation portfolio.

The companies say the plan is to provide customers with “complete automation solutions from a single trusted source”.

As part of this agreement, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems and Sea Machines, the leading developer of remote-vessel command and autonomous control systems, will join forces on the development and sale of fully and semi-autonomous vessel control systems. [Read more…] about Rolls-Royce and Sea Machines partner to develop smart ship and autonomous ship control solutions

Virginia Tech partners with Dive Technologies to launch autonomous underwater vehicle

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Virginia Tech researchers at the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics have partnered with Boston-based Dive Technologies to support the development and testing of what they describe as a novel autonomous underwater vehicle with innovative vehicle design and state-of-the-art control, software, and autonomy systems.

This multiyear collaboration provides an opportunity to apply research discoveries and innovative technology developed in the academic lab and deploy them in next-generation commercial applications.

Bill Lebo, co-founder and chief technology officer of Dive Technologies, says: “We feel fortunate to be working closely with professors Daniel Stilwell, Stefano Brizzolara, and the entire team supporting Dive Technologies from the Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics. [Read more…] about Virginia Tech partners with Dive Technologies to launch autonomous underwater vehicle

5 ways robots are cleaning up the world’s oceans

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Written by Pippa Strickland from iDiveblue.com

Robotics have changed our lives in remarkable ways and when you consider the vastness of our oceans (which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface), it makes sense that robotics is being harnessed to conduct research and preserve our ocean health.

From improving ship fuel efficiency to repopulating reefs and removing marine litter, here are five ways that robotic innovations are leading to a brighter future for our ocean-dwelling species. [Read more…] about 5 ways robots are cleaning up the world’s oceans

Silicon Sensing to provide navigation technology for Mayflower autonomous ship

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Two Silicon Sensing Systems ultra-precise AMU30 inertial measurement units (IMUs) will provide critical navigation data to the autopilot capability for the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) throughout her milestone trans-Atlantic voyage this autumn.

Setting sail this September, the 15 meter-long, 5-ton MAS400 will repeat the Mayflower’s original epic voyage 400 years ago. Led by marine research organization ProMare and powered by IBM, she will sail from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Massachusetts, USA.

Instead of a captain and crew, she will use computer vision, machine learning, edge technologies and sensors to navigate and detect hazards.  [Read more…] about Silicon Sensing to provide navigation technology for Mayflower autonomous ship

ThyssenKrupp and Wilhelmsen to develop additive manufacturing solutions for shipbuilding

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ThyssenKrupp is collaborating with Wilhelmsen, one of the largest maritime products and services provider in the world, to jointly develop additive manufacturing enabled commercial solutions for the maritime industry.

Under the Memorandum of Agreement signed by both companies, ThyssenKrupp and Wilhelmsen’s Marine Products division will collaborate on providing 3D-printed components for maritime vessels, leveraging on ThyssenKrupp’s expertise in additive manufacturing alongside Wilhelmsen’s in-depth maritime expertise and direct ongoing experience of developing 3D printing as a service for vessels.

The collaboration will also leverage on the capabilities of the recently inaugurated ThyssenKrupp Tech Center in Singapore and its Global Additive Manufacturing Tech Center in Mulheim, which has been awarded the Approval of Manufacturer certificate by leading quality assurance and risk management firm DNV GL. [Read more…] about ThyssenKrupp and Wilhelmsen to develop additive manufacturing solutions for shipbuilding

IBM joins the Mayflower autonomous ship project

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IBM has joined a global consortium of partners, led by marine research organization ProMare, that are building an unmanned, fully-autonomous ship that will cross the Atlantic in September 2020, on the fourth centenary of the original Mayflower voyage 400 years ago.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will use IBM’s Power servers, AI, cloud and edge computing technologies to navigate autonomously and avoid ocean hazards as it makes its way from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

If successful, it will be one of the first self-navigating, full-sized vessels to cross the Atlantic Ocean and will open the door on a new era of autonomous research ships. [Read more…] about IBM joins the Mayflower autonomous ship project