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AutoNaut 5m USV Tested in QinetiQ Ocean Basin

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Autonaut USV

MOST (Autonomous Vessels) Ltd. has announced that the company’s new 5m AutoNaut vessel has been tested successfully in QinetiQ’s Ocean Basin at the Haslar Marine Technology Park. The new design was put through its paces in a range of wave conditions to evaluate the performance of the patented AutoNaut Wave Foil Technology at the 5m size.

The trial was organised by QinetiQ’s Maritime Autonomy Centre (QMAC), headed up by campaign lead, Bill Biggs who said: ‘We were really excited to be putting the new 5m through its paces and helping MOST (AV) to more fully characterise the performance of their technology. We are looking forward to supporting the Plymouth trials, and to working with MOST (AV) and other members of the maritime autonomy community at the Unmanned Warrior demonstrations in Scotland this October.’

Dan Alldis, MOST (Autonomous Vessels) Design Manager said: “This is not the first time we have had an AutoNaut in the wave tank, as we completed a significant testing round with our original prototype 3m vessels. This round of testing allowed us to validate our speed and motion scaling calculations from previous testing, and provided us with a chance to test new wave foil configurations.

“We tested in wave heights up to 0.6m and saw speeds upwards of 3.5 knots which is extremely encouraging. We aim to collect further performance data in ‘real’ waves off Plymouth this summer as we go into the second phase of our surveillance capability trials.”

The trials used the state of-the-art Qualysis Motion Capture System to collect high resolution speed and 6-axis motion data, which provided a comprehensive data set to feed into the ongoing AutoNaut R&D program.

Dan Alldis said: “This was a great opportunity to test a full size AutoNaut in controlled conditions, providing an extremely valuable dataset assisting with our ongoing 5m vessel development. Initial analysis of the results is encouraging and align with our calculations and we look forward to proving our findings in an oceanic environment later this month.”

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Seagull USV Successfully Completes Torpedo Trials

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Seagull USV

Elbit Systems has announced that it has recently completed a trial test torpedo launch from its Seagull multi-mission, autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) system. The trial, performed out of Israel’s Haifa port, demonstrated the capability of Seagull to install and launch lightweight torpedoes, adding to the advanced capabilities of the USV, which is designed to carry out unmanned maritime missions, such as protection of critical sea areas and high-value assets against submarines and sea mine threats.

“The success of this test demonstrates Seagull’s modular mission system capability, enabling a highly effective Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) configuration of high performance dipping sonar using two single tube torpedoes,” said Ofer Ben-Dov, Vice President Naval Systems Business Line at Elbit Systems’ ISTAR Division. “The test highlighted Seagull’s unique capacity to detect and engage submarines, in addition to its ability to detect and destroy seamines – all using the same multi-mission USV system in modular configurations. This new and important capability has, to date, only been available to navies through manned vehicles.”

Introduced earlier this year, Seagull is a 12-meter long multi-mission USV system equipped with one or two vessels that can be operated and controlled in concert from manned ships or from the shore. Seagull provides multi-mission capabilities and can be employed for ASW, MCM, EW, maritime security and other related missions, leveraging modular mission system installation and offering a high level of autonomy.

In its full configuration the advanced USV system delivers unmanned end-to-end mine hunting operation capability, taking the man out of the minefield. It features inherent C4I capabilities for enhanced Situation Awareness (SA) and has a large fuel capacity that allows it to remain at sea for several days.

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Liquid Robotics Wave Glider USV Travels More Than 2800 Nautical Miles

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Liquid Robotics Wave Glider USV

Liquid Robotics, a developer of long-duration unmanned ocean robots, has announced that one of its Wave Glider unmanned surface vessels swam 2,808 nautical miles (5200 km) to the Big Island of Hawaii after successfully completing a 4-month patrol mission of the Pitcairn Island Marine Sanctuary for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). This achievement represents a fundamental enabling capability for unmanned systems as it proves the feasibility and flexibility of autonomous mission deployment. Using the Wave Glider platform, Liquid Robotics’ customers are able to deploy sensors in the most remote marine locations without sending a large ship for recovery. This opens up large expanses of the ocean that once were previously inaccessible due to the high cost and risk of deploying manned vessels for research, commerce, or defense.

The Wave Glider began its mission on November 27, 2015 in the South Pacific, where it helped the UK FCO protect the Pitcairn Island Marine Sanctuary against illegal fishing activities. After successfully completing its mission, the Wave Glider was remotely piloted more than 2,808 nautical miles (5200 km) — through strong equatorial currents, doldrums, and challenging sea states — back to port in Hawaii. Along the way, it collected 9,516 measurements of meteorological, oceanographic, and marine biodiversity data over expanses rarely traveled. This data was recently used to support the worldwide Fishackathon, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to promote innovative ways to stop illegal and unregulated fishing. Altogether, the Wave Glider was continuously at sea, untouched, for 213 days while traveling a total of 7,205 nautical miles (13,344 km).

“The Wave Glider’s ability to travel to and from remote mission areas is a real game changer for our customers,” said Roger Hine, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “This enables them to collect real-time data from previously inaccessible waters without the expense of manned deployment or recovery missions. This is an incredibly powerful tool for helping our customers capitalize new opportunities at sea.”

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SeeByte and MIT CSAIL to Collaborate on Unmanned Systems Cooperation

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SeeByte USV

SeeByte, a provider of smart software for unmanned maritime systems, and MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have announced that they are working together to improve the transfer of autonomy research and development between different autonomy systems. Currently users of one autonomy system, including the architecture and messaging middleware, are limited in their ability to utilize an alternative system. SeeByte and MIT will enable greater flexibility for their customers and collaborators to select the most appropriate autonomy system.

MOOS-IvP is a set of open source C++ modules for providing autonomy on robotic platforms, in particular autonomous marine vehicles. The project is situated at MIT and is widely used in research programmes worldwide.

SeeByte’s Neptune provides a payload control architecture, goal based mission planning, and real-time autonomy engine for Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) to plan and execute autonomy behaviours for both single-vehicle and multi-vehicle missions. Neptune has been used operationally by various Navy customers including in the US, Canada and the UK.

In order to provide users of both systems with flexibility, SeeByte and MIT will develop technical approaches to allow improved cooperation and collaboration between these autonomy systems. This is in direct response to customer requests as autonomy research programs become larger and more complex, and as customers wish to transfer the output of their R&D activities into an operational environment. In particular a common theme has been the transition from MOOS-IvP to Neptune for use in higher TRL activities.

Mike Benjamin, Research Scientist at MIT CSAIL, said: “One of our primary goals, beyond educating new students in marine autonomy, is to enable the ideas developed in MOOS-IvP to have an impact in real fielded systems beyond research prototypes. The SeeByte Neptune system has an outstanding track record of fielding and supporting marine robotic systems and for coordinating with academic researchers to quickly bring innovative ideas to the field. Working together in this effort promises to open a new avenue for bridging new novel capabilities in MOOS-IvP to Neptune and its users.”

Bob Black, CEO SeeByte, said: “With high-tech innovative systems, collaboration with other like-minded partners is often key. MIT are providing world leading research in autonomy, and together I think both organisations will be able to harness the best capabilities of both to benefit our users.”

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Leidos Completes Initial Performance Tests Of DARPA ACTUV USV

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DARPA ACTUV Vessel

Leidos has completed initial performance trials of the technology demonstration vessel it is developing for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program. The at-sea tests took place off the coast of San Diego, California.

The 132-foot trimaran, christened Sea Hunter at a ceremony in April 2016, met or surpassed all performance objectives for speed, maneuverability, stability, seakeeping, acceleration/deceleration, and fuel consumption, as well as establishing confidence in mechanical systems reliability in an open-ocean environment. Sea Hunter is designed to operate for extended periods at sea with no person on board and only sparse supervisory control throughout deployment. While initial vessel tests require a pilot on board the ship, later tests are planned to have no personnel on board.

The completion of Sea Hunter’s performance trials is the first milestone in the two-year test program co-sponsored by DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. Testing in upcoming months is scheduled to include testing of sensors, the vessel’s autonomy suite, compliance with maritime collision regulations, and proof-of-concept demonstrations for a variety of U.S. Navy missions.

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BAE Demonstrates Latest Autonomous Naval Technologies

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BAE Systems demoBAE Systems has announced that it has successfully delivered a live demonstration of its latest unmanned naval technologies in a realistic scenario in the Solent and Portsmouth Harbour. Working in collaboration with a number of partner companies including QinetiQ, SeeByte, ASV, Cloudnet IT Solutions and Blue Bear, the project, named ‘Unmanned Capability’, demonstrated the planning, tasking, control and monitoring abilities of unmanned systems technologies and how they could support naval operations in the future.

BAE Systems’ P950 Unmanned Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), developed in collaboration with ASV Ltd, took to the Solent whilst a ‘threat boat’ emerged from Langstone Harbour. The RIB was controlled at a command centre at BAE Systems’ Maritime Integration and Support Centre (MISC), a building 9km away on the top of Portsdown Hill, and was able to send live pictures of the evolving situation back without any risk to any crew. Seeing this footage, the command team were then able to identify the threat and use the unmanned RIB to intercept the ‘threat boat.’

At the heart of the demonstration was BAE Systems’ Combat Management System, which acted as the information hub for each of the unmanned vehicles creating a picture to support the Command Team’s decision-making. The system, which is in operation across the Royal Navy surface fleet, was advanced for unmanned operations through an intelligent software enabler developed in collaboration with QinetiQ and SeeByte, known as Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation (MAPLE). This transportable command and control centre is capable of integrating unmanned systems from multiple suppliers, thus minimising the number of screens and controls needed to conduct missions and making the whole system highly efficient with minimum risk of human error.

Also integral to the demonstration was MarTacNet technology, an intelligent maritime communications network that enables the type of high-speed communication essential for multiple vehicles from a range of suppliers to communicate in unmanned operations. This capability has been developed in collaboration with Cloudnet IT Solutions, which uses part of the Ultra High Frequency spectrum made redundant by the digital TV switchover to provide high bandwidth, long-range tactical communications.

Richard Williams, BAE Systems’ Combat Systems Director, said: “This is an exciting time for our company. Through successful collaboration, we have effectively demonstrated this new technology taking an important step forward towards integrating novel unmanned systems into a warship’s combat system.”

The companies involved in Unmanned Capability will be taking part in the Royal Navy’s ‘Unmanned Warrior’ project trials this October off the coasts of Scotland and Wales. BAE Systems’ new technologies will be vital in co-ordinating this complex exercise which will inform the Royal Navy’s planning for future capabilities.

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Liquid Robotics and Hydro Systems Development Deliver USVs to Japan Coast Guard

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Liquid Robotics Wave GliderLiquid Robotics, a developer of unmanned ocean robots, has announced that in conjunction with the firm’s Japanese partner Hydro Systems Development (HSD), it has successfully delivered the first fleet of Wave Glider unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to the Japan Coast Guard. Liquid Robotics and HSD will assist the Japan Coast Guard in deploying eight Wave Gliders for a multi-year mission providing autonomous observation and situational awareness of ocean currents, wave activity, and weather along Japan’s coastlines. This is the first ocean observation network in Japan’s history that will provide comprehensive and economical monitoring of Japan’s ocean conditions.

Wave Gliders are long-duration, environmentally friendly ocean robots that collect and communicate real-time ocean data without using fuel. This is the largest fleet deployment of Wave Gliders in Japan. Data collected by the fleet of Wave Gliders will provide real-time information for the Japan Coast Guard’s operational use. Missions by four of the JCG Regional Branches are planned imminently.

“It is an honor to assist the Japan Coast Guard with helping protect their coastal environments and populations against natural emergencies and to enhance their understanding of their coastal seas,” said Gary Gysin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Liquid Robotics. “Together with HSD, we will partner to bring real-time, actionable intelligence to help the Japan Coast Guard safeguard their seas.”

With support from Liquid Robotics, HSD has led customer missions ranging from typhoon tracking, to tsunami detection, to general oceanographic studies using Wave Gliders. The Wave Glider returned excellent results and recorded long-term, time-series data information that was not possible with ships. This data has led to a better understanding of the environmental conditions in and around Japan with improved national-level safety and disaster resilience.

“Hydro Systems Development is excited to support the Japan Coast Guard in their efforts to better monitor Japan’s ocean environment and ensure the safety of those in and around the sea,” said Takashi Kitsuda, President of Hydro Systems Development. “We are grateful for the support from Liquid Robotics and know that the Wave Glider presents a game-changing technology for the ocean environment and for the Japan Coast Guard.”

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ASV Global to Provide SeaTrepid DeepSea with New Unmanned Surface Vehicles

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ASV C-Worker USV

ASV Global, a developer of unmanned and autonomous surface vehicle technology, has announced that it is to design and build six brand new Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) for underwater engineering organization SeaTrepid DeepSea.

The vehicles will be used in a multiple autonomous vehicle program developed by SeaTrepid DeepSea combining USVs and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to conduct wide area, high-resolution surveys.

Derivatives of the established ‘C-Worker’ range of ASV Global platforms, the new bespoke ‘SeaWorkers’ will each be fitted with an acoustic underwater positioning system to track the AUVs throughout shallow and ultra-deep waters. Using USVs to track the AUVs brings a step change in operational efficiencies with significant cost savings compared to using a traditional ship.

Dan Hook, Managing Director, ASV Global said “We are delighted to be supplying six new USVs into this ground-breaking project. The SeaWorkers have been designed specifically as a ruggedized workboat, capable of carrying large payloads and handling varying weather conditions and water depths. The ASView Control System will allow for the reliable and safe operation of the six vehicles”.

Jake Klara, Commercial Manager, SeaTrepid DeepSea said “The USV’s are a vital piece of the Multiple Autonomous Vehicle Program allowing for tracking and communication between the AUVs and Host Surface Vessel (HSV). Having a quality USV developed by the leading manufacturer was essential for us to produce successful results to our clients.”

The 7.6m long ‘SeaWorkers’ are being built at ASV Global’s production facility in Portchester, UK before undergoing sea trials and being shipped to SeaTrepid’s base in Louisiana, USA.

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Northrop Grumman to Demonstrate Unmanned Mine Hunting Capability

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NGC minehunting USV

Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it will be demonstrating its unmanned mine hunting capability during the UK Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise.

The unmanned mine hunting element of Unmanned Warrior will feature Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24B towed mine hunting sensor operated from an Atlas Elektronik UK ARCIMS Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). The AQS-24B, which is a towed mine hunting sensor used by the U.S. Navy, features the world’s only high speed synthetic aperture sonar for mine detection, localisation and classification, and an optical laser line scan sensor for mine identification. The ARCIMS USV is a surface craft 11 metres long that will be operated via remote control while towing the AQS-24B through a simulated mine field.

“Securing access and situational awareness in the maritime environment has become increasingly important for many nations,” said Andrew Tyler, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Europe. “We look forward to participating in Unmanned Warrior and demonstrating how innovative, state of the art U.K. and U.S. technologies can come together to advance unmanned military capabilities that can potentially benefit both navies as well as those of our allies.”

Unmanned Warrior, which takes place at Ministry of Defence (MoD) exercise areas in Scotland and the Western Isles, is part of the biannual Joint Warrior exercise, and is the largest capability demonstration event of its kind. It will feature more than 40 unmanned vehicles, sensors and systems demonstrating, in a challenging environment, key military missions for the Royal Navy in a series of themed activities including mine-hunting, sea surveying, submarine simulation and fleet reconnaissance. The exercise will help inform the Royal Navy’s future capability planning and demonstrate how the systems being showcased deliver maritime situational awareness.

The demonstration of unmanned systems overlaid onto the Joint Warrior exercise scenario will create a challenging environment for the participants and allow the Royal Navy to see first-hand how the systems and sensors could integrate into current and future maritime operations.

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ASV Global and TerraSond Complete Unmanned Hydrographic Survey in Bering Sea

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ASV C-Worker 5 USV

ASV Global, a developer of unmanned marine systems, and TerraSond, a provider of hydrographic and geophysical surveys, have announced that they have completed a 5172 nautical mile hydrographic survey in the Bering Sea, off Alaska.

TerraSond used the C-Worker 5 Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) alongside its Q105 survey ship for a duration of 36 days. The C-Worker 5 completed 2275 nautical miles of survey lines operating as a force multiplier, running parallel survey lines to the Q105. Both vessels ran multibeam sonars and simultaneously towed side scan sonars.

The C-Worker 5 was operated using ASV Global’s ASView control system from a control station on the Q105 vessel. ASView used exported survey lines from the TerraSond planning system to autonomously execute an accurate survey with minimal human intervention. Navigational safety was maintained by the C-Worker 5 operator monitoring the ASV’s colour and thermal camera feeds and AIS collision avoidance system, whilst radar overwatch was provided by the Q105.

Watch the video:

Thomas Chance, Chairman ASV Global said: “The C-Worker 5 has proven itself as a reliable, weather resistant solution to increasing survey efficiency. The ASV covered up to 130nm per day, doubling the coverage of the Q105 survey vessel. In addition to this, the C-Worker 5 was able to survey shallow waters that the Q105 was not able to reach.”

Thomas Newman, President, TerraSond said: “I have been involved with hydrographic surveys for more than 30 years, and I can say that the production improvements due to ASV Global’s unmanned force multiplier were nothing less than astounding. Using the C-Worker 5 system alongside our survey vessel, we were able to reduce our overall time on site by more than 25 days.”

This 2016 deployment was a follow on from a proof of concept operation carried out between TerraSond and ASV Global in August 2015 during which an ASV platform became the first autonomous surface vessel to update the US nautical charts for NOAA.

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Royal Navy MAST USV Completes Tidal Thames Trials

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MAST USV Completes Tidal Thames Trials

The UK’s Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST), an unmanned surface vessel (USV) based on the innovative Bladerunner hull shape, has undergone trials in the Tidal Thames.

MAST is being developed by Portchester-based ASV Ltd, under research funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), providing a testbed to host a range of new technologies which allows the Ministry of Defence to test and evolve tactics for employing maritime autonomous systems.

The 32ft MAST is one of over 40 Autonomous Systems taking part in Unmanned Warrior 2016 this autumn, off West Wales and NW Scotland and the Western Isles.

In conjunction with industry and international partners, the Royal Navy has created an exciting opportunity for engineers and scientists to demonstrate state of the art technology during Unmanned Warrior, the biggest event of its kind, and explore the ideas that will help shape the future of Naval Warfare for decades to come.

It is linked with the regular Joint Warrior fleet Exercise and aims to test systems in an operational environment.

Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said: “The growing scale of Unmanned Warrior is a clear demonstration of the Royal Navy’s ambition to lead and win through technological innovation.

“Unmanned maritime systems will change how we operate, but they’re just the start. Our pursuit of new technologies and ideas – from big data to 3D-printing – will ensure we remain one of the most capable and successful navies in the world.”

MAST is a unique UK designed and built craft capable of reaching high speeds on which high speed autonomy can be investigated. Various levels of autonomy include basic remote control up to autonomous navigation.

The craft is designed to operate autonomously in an unmanned mode, sensing other vessels in the immediate vicinity and avoiding them in a safe manner. The avoidance algorithms are designed to comply with internationally mandated collision regulations. When operating on a busy waterway (such as the Thames), the craft is operated with a coxswain on board ready to take control.

It does not carry weapons, but is designed to explore autonomous capabilities and support non-lethal surveillance and reconnaissance roles.

The work is funded through Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), who conduct research on behalf of the Royal Navy (and the other UK armed forces). The work is being conducted by civilian manufacturers ASV Ltd & Roke Manor Research, with support from Cambridge Pixels, Seebyte and Chess Dynamics.

Fleet Robotics Officer Commander Peter Pipkin said: “This is a chance to take a great leap forward in Maritime Systems – not to take people out of the loop but to enhance everything they do, to extend our reach, our look, our timescales, our efficiency using intelligent and manageable robotics at sea.”

Vince Dobbin, Sales and Marketing Director, ASV Global said: “ASV Global has been working in the maritime autonomy industry for many years. We have a long-standing partnership with Dstl, part of which includes working on the Bladerunner vessel.

“Our role in this programme has involved developing the autonomous capabilities of this fast vessel. This capability will be demonstrated at Unmanned Warrior in October showcasing the UK’s position at the forefront of delivering this revolutionary technology.”

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Liquid Robotics Announces Business and Technology Partnership with Maritime Robotics

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Liquid Robotics UUVLiquid Robotics, a provider of long-duration unmanned ocean robots, has announced a new business and technology partnership with Maritime Robotics, a system integrator of autonomous maritime systems. Joining Liquid Robotics’ Open Oceans Partner Program, Maritime Robotics is now an authorized partner to sell Liquid Robotics’ Wave Gliders and associated mission and integration services to customers throughout the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. The Maritime Robotics partnership brings valuable expertise in creating and delivering high value, sustainable maritime solutions for applications of maritime security, fish tracking & monitoring and meteorology and oceanography. Additionally, this partnership will address the emerging commercial applications of wind farming, aquaculture and commercial flight tracking.

One of the first customers from this partnership is flight tracking service Flightradar24. The company is currently undergoing sea trials to test ocean-based ADS-B reception with Wave Gliders. Wave Gliders have the potential to fill the current air traffic communications tracking gaps that exist over remote ocean expanses.

“The Nordic countries are innovating at a rapid pace and generating increasing industry demand for autonomous maritime systems,” said Daniel J. Middleton, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development, Liquid Robotics. “To address this growing market, we are excited to partner with Maritime Robotics to deploy advanced autonomous systems that improve our clients business and provide greater maritime security for their country.”

This partnership combines the companies’ unmanned systems technology expertise, partnerships and solid track records for safely conducting ocean missions in the harsh Nordic seas. Together, with the Wave Glider’s over 1.1M nautical miles at sea and environmentally safe operation, the two companies will work to create sustainable solutions for the Nordic countries’ commercial and maritime security customers.

“With a decade of working with Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) systems and application development, we are now seeing the USV market moving away from the technology push phase over to a more mature business, where users and USV industry join forces to create new opportunities,” said Vegard Evjen Hovstein, CEO of Maritime Robotics. “We see many possibilities for the use of the Wave Glider in our Nordic region, and are thrilled to join forces with the team behind the best energy harvesting USV in the world, the Wave Glider.”

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ASV Global Expands Autonomous Marine Technology into South America

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ASV unmanned surface vessel

ASV Global, a manufacturer of Autonomous Surface Vehicles, has announced that the company has expanded into the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Working alongside local universities and authorities, ASV plans to bring its Autonomous Surface Vehicle technology to the emerging South American market.

ASV Global do Brasil LTDA will offer sales, customer support and operational services. The new venture is being led by experienced naval architect Rafael Coelho. Rafael spent 5 years in the UK headquarters as Head of Design and during that time established a strong design identity across the ASV product lines. Under Rafael’s leadership the ASV design team have delivered more than 80 ASVs for a variety of roles in commercial, defence and security environments. Rafael will retain his role as ASV design lead.

Dan Hook, Managing Director of ASV, said: “We’re excited to announce the opening of ASV Global in Brazil. There are lots of opportunities in Brazil and South America for autonomous systems to offer cost savings and operational efficiencies in applications such as bathymetric survey, security, oil & gas and marine science.”

Fabio Nascimento, from COPPE-UFRJ (the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro’s Graduate School of Research), said: “The opening of a Brazilian branch of one of the major autonomous vehicle manufacturers is very important to the local market, the research institutions and our continental partners. This opens up great possibilities of utilizing this technology and offers customized design solutions for the needs of our industry and scientific community.”

ASV Global currently operates from Portsmouth, UK and Louisiana, USA.

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ASV Global and UK MoD Sign Licence Agreement for USV Software

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ASV MAST USV platform

ASV Global has announced that it has signed a licence agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence allowing for the use of the latter’s Advanced Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Capability technology. The contract has been signed through Ploughshare Innovations, the technology transfer arm of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

The licence is centred on Dstl’s Advanced USV Capability Project, due for completion in late 2017, which has developed an autonomous navigation system that enables USVs to operate safely at both high and low speeds.

With funding from Dstl, ASV Global has developed advanced marine autonomy software, recently showcased on the Tidal Thames with the Royal Navy. The agreement allows ASV Global to expand the use of the software, the intellectual property of which lies with Dstl.

This licencing agreement will enable ASV Global to exploit this technology across its current product range which offers Autonomous Surface Vehicles for both military and commercial applications.

ASV Global’s Managing Director Dan Hook said: “Working with Dstl has enabled ASV Global to design and test advanced autonomous capabilities. This technology will enable ASV Global to access new market areas as well as continuing to solidify our position as the leading autonomous surface vehicle system supplier.”

While this software has obvious applications for the marine sector, Dstl’s Dr Philip Smith, Ship Systems & Integrated Survivability Programme Manager says it could be used elsewhere: “There is a need for more efficient platforms with greater automated systems across all domains – air, land and sea – so there are many potential routes for this software.”

Initially, ASV Global will integrate the software onto its ASView control system for a demonstration at the Unmanned Warrior event in the waters off Scotland in October, in which more than 40 autonomous systems are taking part.

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Thales Tests Unmanned Systems During Royal Navy Exercise

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Thales USV

Thales is playing a major role in a large Royal Navy demonstration this week, to determine the feasability of using unmanned systems in a maritime environment.

Unmanned Warrior, the largest demonstration of its kind in the UK, will bring together Thales and around 40 participants from the Ministry of Defence, industry and academia to assess unmanned systems in a realistic military setting.

Thales expects to achieve two firsts in the development of its unmanned technology capabilities during the event. The key Thales participants will be the Watchkeeper unmanned air system (UAS) and the Halcyon unmanned surface vessel (USV).

Thales Watchkeeper UAS

Thales Watchkeeper UAS patrolling the West Wales Coast.

For the first time, Watchkeeper will be deployed in a maritime role using its I-Master radar to track small, fast incoming asymmetric threats, such as jet skis and high speed craft. Watchkeeper has previously only been used for essential land-tracking operations such as Afghanistan. Watchkeeper can offer the Royal Navy an immediate and assured Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance capability with an extended endurance of over 16 hours.

Meanwhile, Halcyon will be demonstrating its remote mine-hunting capabilities after recently completing successful trials of towing a Thales Synthetic Aperture Sonar (T-SAS). Halcyon and T-SAS will be tasked with identifying and mapping undisclosed minefields during the exercise.

The Halcyon USV is being developed as part of the Thales-led consortium solution for the first phase of the Anglo-French Mine Countermeasures programme to assess the future mine warfare capabilities of the UK and French navies.

The trials have proved the ability of the Halcyon and T-SAS offering to beam live, high quality sonar images to shore-based operators over considerable distances.

As the system integrator for the Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation (MAPLE) programme, Thales is also working with industry, the Dstl and the Maritime Capability branch of the Royal Navy to research integrated command and control in unmanned vehicles in order to reduce the manpower, space and training burden, while maximising effect potential.

An initial demonstrator combat system, ACER (Autonomous Control Exploitation and Realisation) will be deployed on the vessel Northern River, forming an integral part of the event. This will support the Navy’s longer term ambition of an Open Architecture Combat System across the future surface fleet.

Commander Peter Pipkin, the Fleet Robotics Officer said: “The technologies and concepts being demonstrated in Unmanned Warrior have the potential to fundamentally change the future of Royal Navy operations just as the advent of steam propulsion or submarines did for example. By working closely with a wide range of system providers from defence, industry and academia, Unmanned Warrior has also become the catalyst for a level of discussion and participation that sets the gold standard for collaborative projects.”

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H-Scientific Announces New Autonomous Vessel Testing Software

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H-Scientific ShipSim

H-Scientific Ltd (HSL), a developer of ship simulation technologies, has announced the release of ShipSim 3 and AUVSim, simulation software packages for surface and sub-surface vessels respectively. Both simulators allow autopilot and unmanned vessel designers the ability to simulate the vessel control and dynamics prior to committing to expensive sea trials.

Ship Sim 3 is a surface vessel simulator that can be configured using the ISO16329, IEC 62065 or proprietary detailed model, to model the behavior of a large range of ships. Applications include autopilot test and development, and training. Features include:

  • Real time high accuracy modeling of vessel, in configurable sea currents, wind speeds, and wave speeds
  • Customisable user interface
  • Joystick, helm and throttle controls can be interfaced
  • Multiple vessels in a simulation
  • Support for AIS, RADAR, and NMEA 2000
  • Optional external 3D view

AUVSim simulates the behaviour of an underwater vehicle, such as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), mini-submarine (manned or unmanned), or remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and includes the following features:

  • Realistic six degree of freedom simulation, including:
    -User – configurability, allowing user to position and specify properties of vehicle components
    -Performance of actuators and static bodies, including added mass effects
    -Environmental effects, including tide and sea-state
    -Wave response model: The motions are calculated via the shape of the sea surface as well as the vehicle’s velocity with respect to the waves. A user interface dialog allows the amplitudes of response to be scaled independently for surge, sway and yaw.
  • Control algorithms to optimally control the actuators to perform a chosen task, including waypoint following and dynamic positioning
  • Auto-tuning algorithms to optimise the performance of the controllers for the specific vehicle
  • Serial communications – sensor outputs include NMEA, TCM2, PD6
  • Analogue input and output – for example, from external console, or input from measurement of actuator position
  • Record and Playback
  • Wire-frame (view from above, east and south) views, 3D external view, Chart view
  • NMEA 2000 interface (CAN Bus) supported

HSL’s founder, Dr Henry Robinson, stated: “With an increase in the number of autonomous vessels being designed and the increased cost of sea trials and the resultant delays in the time to market, we offer a cost effective aid to the design process. It is a proven way to optimise the design.”

The post H-Scientific Announces New Autonomous Vessel Testing Software appeared first on Unmanned Systems Technology.

BAE Showcases Autonomous Vessels and Control System at Unmanned Warrior

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BAE Autonomous Rib

BAE has announced that it will be showcasing its unmanned boat technology and a bespoke transportable command and control system at Unmanned Warrior, a large scale demonstration of innovative maritime robotic systems hosted by the Royal Navy.

The Unmanned Warrior demonstration, taking place off the coasts of Scotland and West Wales, involves participants from industry, academia and Royal Navy operating more than 50 vehicles, sensors and systems on the surface, underwater and in the air.

BAE Systems’ technology enables end-to-end command and control of unmanned vehicles and, together with its unmanned boat technology, can track, monitor and intercept threats as they happen. This supports decision making and helps to keep Royal Navy personnel safe during deployments.

Frank Cotton, BAE Systems Head of Technology for Combat Systems, said: “BAE Systems is at the forefront of the integration of unmanned systems with our proven mission-critical capabilities. This is vital in co-ordinating the Unmanned Warrior demonstration, which will inform the Royal Navy’s future capability planning.”

The ACER (Autonomous Control Exploitation and Realisation) system is at the heart of the Unmanned Warrior demonstration and has been developed by BAE Systems in collaboration with QinetiQ, Thales and Seebyte providing facilities to build and manage actionable tactical pictures and to plan, monitor, and execute unmanned vehicle missions.

ACER has been developed from the proven BAE Systems Combat Management System and includes enhancements to support planning and decision-making using off-board systems. Hosted within a transportable command and control centre, ACER is capable of integrating a number of unmanned systems and platforms from multiple suppliers, minimising the number of screens and controls operators need to conduct successful missions.

This provides a seamless flow of information from the sensors on the unmanned vehicles to the crew on the hosting warship. It enables Royal Navy personnel to pass commands down to the unmanned vehicles, ensuring humans retain the ultimate chain of command.

One of those platforms is BAE Systems’ Pacific Class 950 Unmanned Rigid Inflatable Boat (P950 RIB). The RIB is capable of travelling at up to 47kts for up to 12 hours at a time, and can be controlled remotely and autonomously thanks to technology developed by BAE Systems and ASV Ltd with support from suppliers including Deep Vision Inc and Chess Dynamics Ltd.

During Unmanned Warrior, the RIB is being tasked from Northern River, the surrogate ‘mothership’ of these demonstrations. From here ACER provides the resident Principal Warfare Officer with unique ship-launched, high speed manoeuvrability and enhanced situational awareness to support decision-making.

This autonomous RIB technology is designed to be retro-fitted to existing boats, such as those already used extensively by the Royal Navy, as an affordable, modular upgrade that enables the craft to be operated manually or autonomously at the flick of a switch.

Behind all the technology is a team of operators, monitoring and assessing the real-time feeds that come back from the sensors and cameras on board the P950, enabling swift decision-making while ensuring all Royal Navy personnel are kept out of harm’s way.

The post BAE Showcases Autonomous Vessels and Control System at Unmanned Warrior appeared first on Unmanned Systems Technology.

Dstl MAST USV Tested at Unmanned Warrior

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Dstl MAST USV

The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has announced that its new Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) system is participating in a number of exercises at Unmanned Warrior. The vessel is one of over 40 autonomous systems taking part in the Royal Navy’s event.

MAST is an unmanned surface vessel (USV) system based on the Bladerunner hull shape. UK designed and built, the 34ft MAST is a unique vehicle capable of reaching speeds of 60mph and can be operated with various levels of autonomy from basic remote control up to fully autonomous navigation. The vehicle’s autonomy and control system was developed by ASV Global under Dstl funding.

The Unmanned Warrior is taking place in Ministry of Defence exercise areas around Wales and Scotland. The demonstration aims to test systems in an operational environment and will see over 40 vehicles from land and sea take part in various exercises to allow the Royal Navy to see first-hand how some of the systems and sensors could integrate into current and future operations.

During Unmanned Warrior, MAST is being deployed from support vessel Northern River and taking part in a number of simulated ‘attack’ exercises to test and verify its autonomous capabilities. In a series of trials, personnel are experimenting with the vehicle’s innovative autonomous defensive blocking and intercept capabilities to block a number of fast inshore attack craft.

The vehicle’s 360 degree camera and radar are also being used to provide tactical situational awareness in support of the wider picture compilation efforts of the exercise. The unique manoeuvrability and flexibility of the MAST is used to investigate and identify potential threats in the area and relay optical and infrared surveillance imagery back to the fleet.

Testing USV systems in conditions more representative of the environments that these vehicles will ultimately be deployed in has been incredibly valuable.

Royal Navy Commander Bow Wheaton commented that “the utility of USVs has been proven beyond doubt.”

The MAST system has been funded through Dstl, which conducts research on behalf of the Royal Navy (and the other UK armed forces). The development has been conducted by civilian manufacturers ASV Global and Roke Manor Research, with support from Cambridge Pixels, SeeByte and Chess Dynamics.

The post Dstl MAST USV Tested at Unmanned Warrior appeared first on Unmanned Systems Technology.

UK and France Launch Next Phase of Maritime Mine Counter Measures Program

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UK-France mine clearance vehicle

The UK Ministry of Defence and its French counterpart have announced the launch of the next phase of a £117 million joint Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program. The MMCM program aims to develop and deploy an unmanned mine clearance vehicle will help keep personnel safe in challenging maritime environments.

The Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: “This innovative project further strengthens the UK-French defence relationship and supports cutting edge research on both sides of the Channel. The development of advanced autonomous mine counter measures capability will safeguard our strategic interests, secure around 150 jobs in the UK supply chain, and protect our brave and skilled personnel.”

The MMCM programme builds on the commitment of the 2010 Lancaster House Treaty to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the UK and France in order to improve collective defence capability within Europe and NATO.

Laurent Collet-Billon, Délégué Général pour l’Armement said: “Harriett Baldwin, Minister for Defence Procurement, and I launched today the construction phase of the MMCM project, cornerstone of France’s “Système de lutte anti-mines future” (SLAMF) programme. It is a step further in the accomplishment of the strategy initiated since the Lancaster House Summit in 2010 aimed at strengthening the effectiveness and operational interoperability of our mine warfare systems, and to support the excellence of the Franco-British industrial base.”

Such cooperation allows the UK and France to share costs, build expertise, and increase the ability of the two countries’ Armed Forces to work together effectively and flexibly. A prototype will be delivered to each navy in 2019.

Led by Thales, the joint programme draws on the expertise of companies from both sides of the Channel to the benefit of both nations. Work will be shared between UK and French supply chains, as will the export opportunities arising from the new technology. The programme will secure around 150 jobs across the country, including Somerset, Manchester and Fareham. The delivery of the programme will also open up opportunities for further collaboration on equipment and operations.

The post UK and France Launch Next Phase of Maritime Mine Counter Measures Program appeared first on Unmanned Systems Technology.

ASV Global Completes 1000 Days of Unmanned Surface Vehicle Operations

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ASV Global C-Worker 5 USV

 

ASV Global, a manufacturer of autonomous surface vehicles, has announced that it has reached the landmark of 1000 days of unmanned operations.

The milestone was reached during the Unmanned Warrior 2016 event which saw more than 50 unmanned vehicles operating in a variety of themed activities. The event enabled the Royal Navy to see first-hand how these types of systems and sensors could integrate into current and future operations. A number of ASV Global-developed vehicles and systems participated in the event, including converted vessels such as BAE Systems’ Pacific 950 and Pacific 24 RIBs, and Dstl’s Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) based on the “Bladerunner” hull shape. The event also showcased vehicles designed and built by ASV Global, including the commercial vehicle C-Worker 5 and Thales’ mine countermeasures demonstrator platform “Halcyon.”

Dan Hook, Managing Director of ASV Global, said: “Completing 1000 days of unmanned operations during Unmanned Warrior, the world’s first large scale demonstration of maritime autonomous systems, couldn’t have been more timely. This exemplifies the increasing speed of adoption of ASV technology and is a real testament to all of the hard work and dedication from the team.”

The 1000 days of unmanned operations cover a wide variety of applications that have been carried out by ASV Global platforms over the past six years. These applications include hydrography, oceanography, subsea positioning, mine countermeasures, ISTAR and naval gunnery training.

The figure only accounts for the amount of time that ASV Global has spent operating its own vehicles, and does not include the number of successful unmanned operations undertaken by its customers in countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

The post ASV Global Completes 1000 Days of Unmanned Surface Vehicle Operations appeared first on Unmanned Systems Technology.

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