Greensea System BFM 78

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

OCEAN ROBOTICS FOR SMOOTH OPERATIONS

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

WITH TRAVEL SIGNIFICANTLY RESTRICTED AS A RESULT OF THE CURRENT PANDEMIC, THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH OCEAN ROBOTICS MORE EFFICIENTLY HAVE BEEN FURTHER HIGHLIGHTED, OPENING UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

OCEAN ROBOTICS FOR SMOOTH OPERATIONS PROJECT MANAGED BY: NEIL STOWE

2 | BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

Greensea is a robotics company specialising in open architecture solutions for ocean systems, helping to improve the working relationship between operators and machines through three primary technologies: navigation and localization, control and autonomy, and human-machine interfaces.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

G

reensea develops open architecture solutions for ocean robotics based on OPENSEA, a commercially managed open architecture software platform for developing advanced systems robustly, safely and competitively. “Adopting an open architecture solution for technology development, product line, or solution is the single most important decision any system integrator or operator can make. It provides a scalable, flexible, and severable solution that can evolve and constantly improve as requirements and technology change. Greensea provides the most comprehensive commercially managed open

architecture solution for ocean robotics in the world,” said Ben Kinnaman, the company founder and CEO. OPENSEA can integrate with almost any system in the industry, open or closed, commercial or free. It is used throughout the industry and encapsulates low levels of product management and advanced technologies like navigation, control, automation, and human-machine interface in a platform that can be extended into proprietary and secure implementations by other developers.

“Greensea is extremely operator-focused.

We are technologists but we go to work every day for the operators that

BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE | 3

iCsys AS strives to deliver the best custom intelligent control system on the market. From our facilities in Klepp on the west coast of Norway we produce both electronic hardware and software solutions for use in all elements such as drones, subsea equipment, and robotics. We offer a wide range of services for minor to major clients, software and hardware, development and production, installation and testing, be it diving, driving or flying.

ICSYS AS Postvegen 610 N-4351 Kleppe, Norway

Email: post@icsys.no Tel: +47 51 42 22 22

www.icsys.no

Electronic Sales of New England is the oldest Manufacturers’ Representative company in the Northeast US serving the oceanographic market. ESNE was founded in 1967 by Bob Warren who was a Navy veteran and held an EE degree from Brown University. Mark Warren joined his Dad in Feb. of 1977 two years after graduating from Connecticut College. The company covers the 6 states of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania servicing the oceanographic, law enforcement, university and defense industries with underwater equipment ranging from connectors, cable assemblies, sensors, side scan sonar systems, thrusters, Li-Ion battery solutions, ROV’s, ADCP’s, cameras, sonar and other products that can be found on our website, www.esalesne.com In addition, ESNE has been a dealer for Hardigg cases for over 30 years since 1989 and has been a stocking distributor for Pelican cases after Pelican bought Hardigg in Dec. of 2008 with warehouse space in Old Saybrook, CT where the cases are stocked and two Sprinter Vans for making deliveries.

ESNE - 33 Main Street, Unit E, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 USA Tel. +1 860-388-1196 Mobile: +1 860-884-8870 Fax: +1 860-388-1232 Email: sales@esalesne.com

4 | BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE

www.esalesne.com BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

ICSYS AS Since 2014 iCsys AS has been producing electronic hardware and creating software solutions from our facilities in Klepp, Norway. Our competitive strength lies in our ability to provide a unique combination of personnel, experience, and suitable assets to offer a complete solution to our client’s challenges.

Our focus is to simplify a customer task by implementing our remotecontrol system. The remote technology used enables the operator to control any equipment at any global location. We do this by using our wide range of electronic components and adding the versatility of robotics and automation in the control system. The technology is applicable for a wide range of products and services such as energy exploration, aquaculture, drone aviation, robots, autonomous vehicles and production facilities.

All produced hardware has an open protocol following industrial standards. This makes for easy implementation into customer produced software solutions or iCsys Suite. Our in-house made graphical user interface, iCsys Suite, makes operating the system easy and accessible for the user.

By helping our customers with intelligent control systems and remote operations we have experienced a reduction of customer commissioning time towards end-client. Remote controlled operation allows specialized personnel to access the system without intermediaries, decreasing the risk factor of operation as well as greatly decreasing the commissioning time.

www.icsys.no

use our technology,” affirmed Mr Kinnaman, who started out in the industry as a diver and ROV technician, and founded the company because he felt there was a better way to advance ocean robotics. “To this day, our focus remains on the operator.”

“GREENSEA IS EXTREMELY OPERATOR-FOCUSED. WE ARE TECHNOLOGISTS BUT WE GO TO WORK EVERY DAY FOR THE OPERATORS THAT USE OUR TECHNOLOGY.” THREE PILLARS

Ben Kinnaman Founder & CEO Greensea Systems

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

Greensea has three primary business segments. The first is OPENSEA as a Platform, its core open architecture software framework, which the company provides to major manufacturers, technology developers, and systems integrators around the world as a platform upon which they can develop their own proprietary solutions.

The second segment is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Solutions.

Within this segment, Greensea helps manufacturers transition emerging products and technologies into mature and robust products based on OPENSEA. The company then supports the OEMs through the lifecycle of their products to help them stay competitive and industry-leading with an open architecture system.

In these two segments, Greensea serves manufacturers and developers by providing

BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE | 5

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

Greensea employees assist in launching an ROV used during power grid cable that crossed Lake Champlain between Vermont and New York.

its open architecture platform and engineering support. In the third segment, Program Development, the company directly serves end-users in three very focused markets: maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Special Operations Forces combat diving and ship hull robotics.

“Within these markets, we provide comprehensive solutions directly to operators so that they can be successful,” said Mr Kinnaman.

He pointed out that across all markets, a common thread is clearly visible - everyone needs to work with robotics on the ocean more efficiently and more productively, with new technologies and fewer resources. In this context, open architecture solutions provide

6 | BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE

Greensea Hull Crawler shown on a ship hull during testing.

operators a robust and almost community-supported means of adopting new technologies.

“The current market developments also present an opportunity to provide a way for operators to be more productive with less. Greensea solves this problem with autonomy.

Not the autonomy of Isaac Asimov, but the autonomy that works under the supervision of operators to help them achieve their goals more efficiently and

productively.”

“By working closely with autonomous systems, operators can reduce crewing requirements offshore, look to the employment of unmanned surface vessels to launch subsea robotics, consider resident seafloor systems, and put extremely advanced robotic solutions in the hands of military operators effectively without the expectation that operators become engineers.”

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Greensea has invested significantly over the past couple of years to bring a ship hull crawling robot to market.

With development supported in part by the US Navy, Greensea has developed a novel navigation and positioning technology for miniature robots crawling upside down on a ship hull. This solution provides a very accurate ability to position and navigate robots on the hull, enabling many applications.

“We are continuing this investment as we bring this product to market for the hull grooming and hull inspection applications,” said Mr Kinnaman.

He admitted that while the age of COVID has limited some aspects of business, it has also opened new opportunities. With travel significantly restricted, the traditional way of working with robotics offshore has been challenged of late. Crews are unable to travel to meet ships and ships are unable to work safely, limiting the industry’s ability to deploy robots for some tasks. Greensea has developed an open architecture solution for controlling and monitoring Greensea engineers, Heath Hescock and Alden Fredericks, are testing the remote control of a surface boat.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

robots under the ocean from very long distances. This could open the doors for operators and subject matter experts being able to conduct subsea robotic operations without leaving their own home.

Finally, this year Greensea is also investing heavily in simulation technologies. “COVID risks and restrictions are limiting how our defence forces train with robotics in EOD and Special Operations Forces applications.

Traditionally, military operators have trained by going to sea with robotics and technologies and working through training scenarios. With travel and gatherings limited to only the most essential activities, this type of training has been curtailed. Greensea has recently launched two simulator systems to help our operators train on our software products in the EOD and combat diving markets,” said Mr Kinnaman.

CLEAR FOCUS

Greensea places significant emphasis on really understanding how operators use its technology, what they think of its products, and what

suggestions they have for improving their work through technical solutions. To support that, the company trains its engineering and production staff to work in the field, often giving them the opportunity to work alongside customers in different applications.

Mr Kinnaman reflected that the company is now in its 14th year of operation and its future development is being carefully considered.

“I founded Greensea in 2006 based on a 10-year technology development roadmap followed by a commercialization strategy.

We are now in our fourth year of aggressive commercial growth.

In some ways, Greensea is a dichotomy. We are a mature technology company with more than 1000 deployments behind us, yet we are a relative start-up in our commercialization phase.”

“Greensea has been growing at a rate near 50% each year for the past few years but I manage the company in a very focused manner. We adhere strictly to our business strategy and try not to get distracted. I am very careful to make sure we always provide the best technical solutions to our customers and that we are here to support them as they grow and evolve.

If we get spread too thin, we cannot provide our customers with the support they need.”

“My objective as CEO is to continue the growth rate while also continuing to provide highquality technology and service to the customers we value. To fuel that sustainable growth, we will focus on our OPENSEA as a Platform business segment and empower partners to develop new products and technologies.

We will also continue to invest in our defence products so that our militaries have the tools they need to be safe and maintain an advantage over adversaries.”

BUSINESS FOCUS MAGAZINE | 7

GREENSEA SYSTEMS

WWW.GREENSEA.COM