Remotely Operated Vehicles
Discover cutting-edge solutions from 11 leading global suppliers
Oceanology International 2024 was held from 12-14th March, with companies from all over the world coming to showcase a wide variety of innovative ocean-applicable technologies.
OST’s Abi Wylie was at the event, and explored a range of new and interesting products, seeing everything from new releases to displays of some of the most trusted and reliable technology in the sector.
Deep Trekker were displaying a wide range of their ROVs and attachments, with Sales and Marketing Director Cody Warner saying that he was most excited to talk about the Revolution ROV. The Revolution is reportedly the company’s largest and most powerful ROV yet, able to perform in strong currents and use various attachments for applications ranging from research to defense, including sediment samplers, grabbers, multi-beam sonars, and microphones.
An attachment that Warner spoke about in particular was the underwater rotary cutter, actively in use on Deep Trekker ROVs as part of not-for-profit work to clear abandoned fishing equipment in the ocean, like nets and lobster pots, that are otherwise adversely affecting the environment.
Advanced Navigation spoke about their goals to support entry level customers by making underwater surveying accessible and affordable, when it is so often an expensive and challenging venture. The company had their impressive Hydrus micro AUV front and center, a fully autonomous drone that is affordable, available from many rental companies to encourage first-time users, and easily operational without any required training.
The Hydrus was following a preprogrammed route in a tank at Advanced Navigation’s booth, demonstrating how it could autonomously collect complete, detailed 3D photogrammetry, although in a glass tank it is hard to display the full range of it’s abilities, not least the impressive 3000m depth rating.
At Teledyne Marine’s booth, the Slocum glider AUV from Teledyne Webb Research was the company’s main focus. Reportedly set apart by its increased volumetric efficiency, the glider is shorter and wider than others on the market, enabling it to travel faster and with increased endurance, as well as allowing for more sensors and payloads within its body.
The company also expressed pride in their Argo floats, which measure climate information at preset depths, where the float remains neutrally buoyant, or can gather data while moving through a water column. When the time comes, it autonomously returns to the surface to transmit the collected data.
Among other technology from Oceanbotics, the company was enthusiastically displaying their SRV-8X Optimus. This larger, powerful ROV sets itself apart through its ease-of-use and versatility, using familiar gaming controllers and intuitive software that displays all the information on a single screen, as outlined by marketing administrator Mira Nagle. This operational accessibility makes the ROV ideal for SAR operations and law enforcement use, when an ROV is required urgently, with little to no time for training.
The central technology being showcased at Greensea IQ’s booth was the Bayonet AUGVs, which are innovative crawlers designed for surf-zone operations. However, the EverClean hull cleaning robot, while much smaller and not present at the trade show, is even more applicable to the ocean technology industry. The autonomous robot, along with its EverClean IQ data-reporting software solution, can clean hulls autonomously using on-hull navigation, without the need for a map of the ship.
This technology aims to provide an always-clean hull solution to the industry, and as a result could significantly decrease the carbon output in shipping.
Dynautics were displaying their intelligent control systems, designed and manufactured for unmanned vessels of all shapes and sizes, reportedly with no other companies making similar systems for such a range vessel types.
Alongside these autopilots and simulators, there was also the ‘Phantom’ UUV, discussed at length with Founder and CEO Dr. Henry Robinson, who kindly delved into its origins as a target drone for the military and its current versatile applications thanks to its largely hollow design.
In the Canadian Pavilion, Open Ocean Robotics discussed their versatile, solar-powered unmanned surface vessel, equipped with a vast array of sensors for environmental data collection.
The company explained that this USV sets itself apart with its reliability both in surf zones and on the open ocean in high sea scapes, largely due to its ability to self-right when capsized.
The Exray, marketed as the world’s first wireless inspection ROV designed specifically for confined spaces, was being operated in an open-topped tank at Hydromea’s booth at Oceanology International. The easily-portable modular ROV can provide live video footage of submerged infrastructure, the operator explained, and is controlled using light from optical modems rather than a wire.
