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2024 has been a year of exciting evolution and development for the marine technology industry. We have covered nearly 500 articles, including announcements for product releases and milestone achievements for autonomous subsea and surface vessels, maritime robotic systems, and environmental technologies across ocean-related industries.
Here’s a round-up of the ten most read articles of the year on OceanScienceTechnology.com, focusing not only on marine platforms, but also the technology used on these systems, and applications within offshore energy, aquaculture, environmental, and military sectors.
1. Revolutionizing Underwater Data Capture
In this white paper, Advanced Navigation outlines how its Hydrus ROV is facilitating underwater data capture, making it affordable while still gathering high-quality subsea data.
The Hydrus is compact and lightweight, with obstacle detection for collision avoidance and object identification for targeted data capture, among many other features.
2. Underwater Photogrammetry: Potential for Aquaculture
Voyis understands that aquaculture, the farming of aquatic organisms, plays a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for seafood worldwide.
As the fish-farming industry expands at pace, more innovative technologies are required to optimize operations and ensure sustainability becomes increasingly apparent. In this blog, Voyis explores how underwater photogrammetry is revolutionizing aquaculture, unlocking new possibilities for stock monitoring, site planning, environmental assessment, and much more.
3. A Comprehensive Guide to Marine Sonar Systems for Inspections & Surveys
Deep Trekker delves into the essentials of sonar technology, detailing its role in underwater inspections, search and recovery missions, bathymetric mapping, and other applications.
For underwater professionals, sonar is often the preferred tool. Using sonar is an invaluable asset, offering location data, environmental context, and imaging capabilities even in highly turbid waters.
4. Control Systems for Wave Powered USVs
Dynautics, having developed control systems for a wide variety of surface and subsurface vessels, is diving into the methods and technologies for controlling wave propelled craft.
Using wave energy for propulsion is beneficial for the environment, enabling net-zero emissions and increasing the range on USV and UUV expeditions, as the vessels are essentially surrounded by their fuel, perfect for persistence, long-term missions.
5. Motion Reference Units: Understanding the Functionality
Inertial Labs acknowledges that Motion Reference Units (MRUs) play a crucial part in navigational technologies, especially in applications that need high accuracy in orientation data and motion measurement.
The full article explores the operational mechanics of MRUs, shining a spotlight on the contributions and products of Inertial Labs, a leader in inertial sensor technology, among other things.
6. NDBC Expands Ocean Observation Network with Uncrewed Systems
The National Data Buoy Center has outlined the need for a combined approach involving moored and uncrewed systems to address observation gaps and support the Blue Economy. Ocean observation is key for making decisions that protect the planet’s delicate balance for future generations.
It plays a key role in national security, helping to safeguard offshore and onshore assets, provides essential data for understanding how climate change is affecting extreme weather, and supports the growth of the Blue Economy by helping manage and utilize natural resources efficiently.
7. AI and Innovation: Shaping Commercial Fishing
CatchCam Technologies, formerly SafetyNet Technologies, aims to shape the world of commercial fishing through the use of their CatchCam technology and the integration of AI and precision fishing tools.
The company understands that commercial fishing has a long history and a range of traditions, with businesses often being family-run over many decades. Innovating such an industry can be hard, but it has been done before.
8. Deep Trekker Releases Underwater ROV Buyers Guide
Deep Trekker has released a guide to help identify the features/benefits of each of the company’s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) model/package and interpret which option is best suited.
When it comes to any large purchase, it’s important to weigh out all the variables before deciding which option fits your needs the best. Purchasing an ROV is no exception. Understanding each model’s subtle differences and how they benefit specific projects can be a complicated process, but it doesn’t have to be.
Earlier this year, Northrop Grumman tested an extra large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) that was designed in response to a request from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
DARPA put out a call in 2020 for proposals to advance UUV capabilities in efficiency, energy management, fueling, power, and more for long-duration and long-range operations. Subsea missions can be extremely challenging, with difficulties like low temperatures, spotty communications, high pressure, and power supply for long missions, particularly when operating far from a land base.
10. Fish Farming: How do Robotics Affect the Fish in Aquaculture?
Cyberneticist Eleni Kelasidi discusses the robotic factors that adversely affect fish behavior and stress levels in aquaculture, and the potential changes that need to be made to equipment. Norway is a world leader in the use of robotics in the fish farming industry. But how does the technical equipment affect the fish? A surprising amount, says Eleni Kelasidi.
After robotics made its way into the fish farming industry, aquaculture has largely adopted equipment developed for the oil and gas industry. Kelasidi believes aquaculture needs its own specialised robotics and has researched which solutions are least disturbing to the fish.
