Ocean Robotics Planet Magazine Issue 37

9.

The Freedom to Evolve: What’s New and What’s Next

13.

The Search & Recovery of the Missing OceanGate Titan Sub

27.

Discovery of Two Historic WWII Aircraft Wrecks

43.

Subsea Anchoring for a Greener Future

37 The magazine of choice for Ocean Robotics focused Professionals

ISSUE Q4 / 2023

SMART SUBSEA SOLUTIONS Delivering data in most adverse conditions: underwater acoustic modems with advanced communication technology and networking Accurate USBL and LBL positioning of underwater assets Modem emulator and other cost-saving developer tools Autonomous surface vehicle for bathymetry, monitoring, search & rescue, and AUV support

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ISSN 2755-239X EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

06. Events Calendar & Welcome to Ocean Robotics Planet

Richie Enzmann COPY EDITOR Will Grant

09. The Freedom to evolve: What’s New and What’s Next with the Hybrid Freedom AUV/ROV

SALES DIRECTOR Nick Search

13. The Search & Recovery of the Missing OceanGate Titan Submersible

DESIGN & LAYOUT Milan Farkas

19. Sub Rescue Planning

CONTRIBUTORS Richie Enzmann, Alan Anderson, Alexander Steele, Edward Cassano,

23. Protecting Offshore Energy Sources:

Edward Lundquist, Eric King,

Fossil Fuel and Green Energy Have Common Ground

George Galdorisi, Jonas Folleso, Olivier Moisan, Tim Bulman, Xavier Orr

27. Discovery of Two Historic WWII Aircraft Wrecks

SPECIAL THANKS TO

in Trondheimsfjorden

Audrey Leon, Bill Mallin, Carlie Weiner,

32. Poster: DriX USV deployed in conjunction with the Freedom AUV

Catrin Wickert, Curtis Lee, Francisco Bustamante, Gautier Dreyfus, Hayley Yule, James Colebourn, Jeff Mahoney, Jeroen Romijn, Jack Rowley, John

35. DriX and FlipiX: Exail's Smart Solution for Bathymetric, Geophysical and UXO Surveys

Paul Fletcher, Rachel McAlpine, Willard Balthazar

Uncover New Ways to Tackle Climate Change

43. Subsea Anchoring for a Greener Future 47. Schmidt Ocean Institute Launches New Research Vessel: Take a Tour of Falkor (too)

53. Small Unmanned Surface Vessels Could Pose a Big Threat as a Waterborne IED

57. Class Project: Students Reverse Engineer Captured Unmanned Smuggling Boats

W W W.O C E A N R O B O T I C S P L A N E T.CO M

Lalanne, Marion Seyve, Mathilde Loe Holand, Matt Bates, Matthieu Scheffers, Mette Eriksen,

39. Into the Ocean: Underwater Robotics

19.

Benson, John Bloomfield, Jostein Jansen, Julian

39.

Advanced Navigation

Pelagic Research

Blueprint Subsea

Services

Blueye Robotics

QYSEA

DeRegt Cables

RTSYS

Digital Edge Subsea

Saab Seaeye

EvoLogics

SCHOTTEL

Exail

The Indepth Group

Film Ocean

Tritech

Forssea Robotics

U.S. Coast Guard

Norwegian Offshore

U.S. Navy

Rentals

VideoRay

Oceaneering

Zetechtics

47.

Front Cover Image: Courtesy of Oceaneering Poster Image: Courtesy of Oceaneering

EVENTS CALENDAR 2023

NOVEMBER

For more information about all events visit www.oceanroboticsplanet.com

OFFSHORE ENERGY Amsterdam, The Netherlands (28–29 November 2023)

UNDERWATER INTERVENTION

JANUARY

MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE & SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

FEBRUARY

New Orleans, LA, USA (29 Nov – 1 Dec 2023)

SUBSEA EXPO

London, UK (29–31 January 2024)

My name is Richie Enzmann.

Allow me to welcome you all to the latest issue of Ocean Robotics Planet!

WELCOME TO OCEAN ROBOTICS PLANET! Dear Reader,

MARCH

On the front cover of this issue, we have the Freedom Hybrid AUV/ Aberdeen, UK (20–22 February 2024)

OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL London, UK (12–14 March 2024)

APRIL

Bilbao, Spain (20–22 March 2024)

SEA AIR SPACE National Harbor, MD, USA (8–10 April 2024)

UNDERSEA DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY (UDT) London, UK (9–11 April 2024)

MCEDD

would be adding a DriX USV from Exail to their fleet. This will allow them to introduce a force multiplier when performing survey scopes in tandem with the Freedom vehicle. This AUVxUSV combined concept is shown in this issue’s centrefold.

We also have an in-depth article covering the search and recovery of the OceanGate Titan. Several months after this tragedy, we look back on the actual timeline of events that took place between the 18th and 27th June, 2023. The story of Edward Cassano’s team from Pelagic Research Services (PRS) and their heroic effort to find the missing sub is docu-

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (9–11 April 2024)

mented in the pages of ORP. The sub rescue planning article

MTS/IEEE OCEANS

also gives us an insight into what is really required when

Singapore (14–18 April 2024)

MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE & SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY – USA Arlington, VA, USA (29–30 April 2024) MAY

what Oceaneering have been working on over the past four years.

At Offshore Europe 2023 it was announced that the company

WINDEUROPE

planning manned submersible rescue missions.

Meanwhile in the scientific world, Erik King takes us on a tour of the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s new vessel, Falkor (too). It’s possibly the most advanced vessel currently available, and

AQUACULTURE UK

we get to hear about some of the capabilities of this impres-

Aviemore, Scotland, UK (14–15 May 2024)

sive ship. For this who are interested in finding out more

COMBINED NAVAL EVENT (CNE)

first-hand, SOI are currently taking applications for expedi-

Farnborough, UK (21–23 May 2024) JUNE

ROV from Oceaneering. Alan Anderson gives us an update on

ANNUAL ENERGY DRONE & ROBOTICS SUMMIT Houston, TX, USA (10–12 June 2024)

INTERNATIONAL UNDERWATER GLIDER CONFERENCE Gothenburg, Sweden (10–14 June 2024)

GLOBAL OFFSHORE WIND Manchester, UK (18–19 June 2024)

tions in the Southern Ocean and Southwest Atlantic in 2025.

On the military side of things, Captain Lundquist reports on the Bay Shield exercise that took place in and around San Diego Harbor last month. This exercise focused on the theme of USVs posing a threat as possible waterborne IEDs. Meanwhile an article from Captain Galdorisi looks at the defensive angle and the possibility of using USVs to protect offshore infrastructure, including both oil and gas installations, and offshore wind farms.

Finally, we are very much looking forward to attending Underwater Intervention in New Orleans this year. After several years of hiatus this show is now reemerging as part of the Work Boat Show. If you see us there, please say hi and tell us what you thought of this quarter’s issue. Enjoy!

Best regards, Richie Enzmann

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THE DRONE REVOLUTION

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Its ability to detect obstacles, avoid collisions and deliver high-quality georeferenced imagery makes Hydrus an excellent tool for underwater exploration, surveying and research.

Learn more about Hydrus. www.advancednavigation.com

Courtesy of Oceaneering

THE FREEDOM TO EVOLVE

WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT’S NEXT WITH THE HYBRID ™ FREEDOM AUV/ROV Alan Anderson, SSR Project Manager & Alexander Steele, SSR Product Manager, Oceaneering

In September 2019, Freedom was displayed on the booth at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen. At that point, we shared our ambitions for the vehicle and what we were aiming to accomplish in the next few years as we developed our autonomy program. We are happy to share what has been done in the last four years, where Freedom is today, and what’s next for the program.

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THE FREEDOM TO EVOLVE: WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT’S NEXT WITH THE HYBRID FREEDOM™ AUV/ROV

An illustration of the DriX USV deployed in conjunction with the Freedom™ AUV system as a tracking and communication tool. (Courtesy of Oceaneering)

In August 2023, Freedom completed its first commercial Pipeline Inspection project in the UK, in North of Shetland.

This was an exciting project undertaken in incredibly challenging environmental conditions on behalf of an extremely supportive and progressive customer.

WHAT IS FREEDOM? Freedom is unique. It’s a hybrid AUV/ROV, which means it can stop, hover, reverse and orbit. Some of the features of the vehicle include eight thrusters: four verticals and four horizontals. There is a field gradient cathodic protection (CP) system mounted onto the control fins; and the hydrodynamic shape, ensures we get the best possible endurance from the onboard battery system. We integrated several sensors underneath the vehicle, including a multibeam echosounder, laser imaging system, and a downward facing camera. Additionally, there is an obstacle avoidance sonar at the front of the vehicle, so that Freedom can fly safely at high speed and within close proximity to the pipeline without risk of collision.

FREEDOM DEPLOYMENT Freedom is typically deployed through a garage suspended over the side of the vessel. Before exiting, we check all the sensors and ensure that they are functional, and then we lower it to operating depth and Freedom exits the cage to conduct its mission. Once subsea and undocked from the

10 |

garage, the vehicle will locate the pipeline, aligning to it, and starts flying along the pipeline. The vehicle precisely follows the pipeline and adjusts its altitude as it follows the terrain.

The vehicle processes data from the sensors onboard to determine when anomalous situations, such as freespans, occur and uses that determination to inform the flight control system to trigger the freespan behavior, which will examine the area further with a precise pattern.

Another unique feature is that not only can Freedom inspect the pipeline at close proximity, but it also has a leak detection system on board, enabling it to identify hydrocarbons being released.

One feature that we will add to Freedom in the future is the ability to perform orbital surveys. Currently, we can do an orbital survey for a general visual inspection (GVI), at a distance of roughly about 3m away from the asset but we will improve this to allow precise and detailed inspection of seabed structures.

Once it has completed its mission, Freedom will find its back way to the garage; locate the entrance, fly in and dock automatically. The vehicle’s software enables it to react to the movement of the garage during this docking process– enabling a unique autonomous capability that is not widespread in the industry.

The Freedom team prepares the vehicle for an offshore deployment. (Courtesy of Oceaneering)

RESIDENT SOLUTIONS Freedom has been designed to enable it to become a longterm resident system, with subsea charging and communications, which is already supported by its suspended garage also possible through a seabed docking station. We have also built upon our experience with temporary mobile residency, such as that provided by our Liberty™ system, which has been operational since 2019.

vehicle. This will provide a collaborative robotics solution for our clients that helps reduce the carbon footprint of operations. We aim to operate the USV alongside Freedom and are going to use it, primarily, as a tracking and communication tool, freeing up our multi-service vessels to complete other work scopes at the same time, driving operational efficiencies.

In August 2022, we performed a world's first with Freedom, landing, docking and recharging the AUV through a BlueLogic docking station provided by Equinor in Norway.

A magnetic homing device was used to precisely align and insert the connector on the Freedom vehicle to the docking station’s receptacle. Following the connection, we were able to exchange and download data and recharge the vehicle through the docking station. Through the development and repeated reliable demonstration of this capability we have been able to prove the autonomous docking station concept and that residency works.

OPERATING WITH A USV We also announced at Offshore Europe 2023 that we will soon be adding a DriX uncrewed surface vessel (USV) from Exail to our fleet, introducing a force multiplier when performing survey scopes in tandem with the Freedom

Freedom surveys an underwater field. (Courtesy of Oceaneering)

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Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

THE SEARCH AND RECOVERY OF THE MISSING

OCEANGATE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE Richie Enzmann, Ocean Robotics Planet

On June 18th 2023, the Titan – a submersible operated by OceanGate – imploded during an expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. On board the submersible were Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French deep-sea explorer and Titanic expert; Hamish Harding, entrepreneur; Shahzada Dawood, also an entrepreneur; and Dawood's son, Suleman Dawood. Communication between the Titan and its mother ship, the Polar Prince, was lost 1 hour 45 minutes into the dive.

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THE SEARCH AND RECOVERY OF THE MISSING OCEANGATE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

PRS mobilizing from base ops to Buffalo-Niagara International where USAF C-17s were waiting.

(Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

The search and rescue operation was conducted by an international team led by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the U.S. Navy, and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Edward Cassano, CEO of Pelagic Research Services (PRS) was the coordinator of the subsea assets onboard the Horizon Arctic. Cassano and the PRS team worked alongside Captain Adam Myers and his crew who brought the integrated search and rescue team into the search area. Under the direction of the onsite incident commander onboard the Canadian Coast Guard ship John Cabot, and in coordination with the captain of the ship Deep Energy, Edward oversaw the Pelagic team’s response from mobilization through all offshore objectives.

The following is the timeline of the events that took place between the 18th and 27th June, 2023.

THE TIMELINE OF THE SEARCH AND RECOVERY MISSION SUNDAY, JUNE 18TH – communication and tracking of the Titan is lost. At around 17:45 EDT, PRS are contacted by OceanGate and ROV Manager Jesse Doren prepares for the mobilization process. Edward Cassano, returning from Europe, lands

14 |

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

at JFK airport at around 11 o’clock, and immediately begins communication with OceanGate’s Director of Operations.

They assess the situation, and PRS are officially contracted to activate their deep water ROV system, Odysseus 6K. PRS immediately begins assembling a team, sending some to St John’s and others to East Aurora, NY. MONDAY, JUNE 19TH – Throughout the early morning hours Cassano works to communicate the various logistical elements to ensure a rapid response. PRS continues packing and mobilizing the Odysseus 6K ROV. Cassano makes direct contact with air force transportation command to begin coordination of heavy lift aircraft to Buffalo. OceanGate identifies ship Horizon Arctic for PRS kit and identifies port of mobilization as St. John’s, Newfoundland. Communications and coordination begin with ship team. Throughout the day PRS team members arrive on site, and by late afternoon they are at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, mobilized for deployment. There, two US Air Force C-17s are waiting for them.

With the equipment staged at the airport, PRS await the arrival of a third C-17 loaded with additional equipment that they will require, not only to load their kit at Buffalo, NY, but also to offload it at St John’s Newfoundland International Airport.

Inside the PRS control room mapping the debris area. (Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

The Horizon Arctic in St. John’s during loading of PRS assets.

(Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

TUESDAY, JUNE 20TH – At 04:00 LMT PRS start loading the three C-17 aircraft. They quickly depart, and land at St John’s, Newfoundland by early afternoon. All three aircraft are organised in a manner to ensure the most efficient mobilisation to the Horizon Arctic. Offloading of equipment commences immediately. The ship, the team, and the local community all synchronize with PRS to get them onto the ship and get them under way as quickly as possible. Three semi trucks are used to transport PRS ROV System to ship with the last truck arriving at the pier side at 23:00 LMT, and the last container is loaded onto the ship.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21ST – By 05:30 the loaded ship and integrated team is underway. From the last truck arriving and PRS leaving the pier, five and a half hours have elapsed.

70,000 pounds of equipment has been moved from the pier and loaded onto the vessel during that brief time.

While enroute to the site, PRS finish the activation of the Odysseys 6K ROV system vehicle and rig it for the direct rescue of the missing submersible. At this point in time the team is still entirely focused on rescue, not recovery.

There are at least ten active ships and aircraft already on the site of the last-known location of Titan. It’s decided that

(Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

Odysseus 6k, as the first 6,000m mobile ROV system on site – and thus capable of reaching the seafloor and working – will be the primary asset focused on the rescue. Horizon Arctic arrives next to the ship Deep Energy; a pipe laying ship operated by TechnipFMC. Their own ROV (rated for 3,000 meters) is in the water and holding at 1,700m waiting for the arrival of the PRS Odysseus 6K system. Heroically, prior to the arrival of Odysseus 6K, they sent one ROV to the seafloor (3,838 meters), beyond its depth capability. Unfortunately, it suffered a mechanical issue due to being outside its operational depth rate and needed to be recovered to ship. This shows the incredible effort and sacrifices being made in the entire scope of the rescue effort.

Upon arrival at the site of the last-known position of the missing submersible, Horizon Arctic, a 400-ft ship is a mere 75m to 100m off the port beam of the Deep Energy, a 640-ft ship. Cassano (with Captain Meyers and his bridge team) communicates with the on-scene incident commander aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Cabot. Cabot immediately links Cassano and Horizon Arctic to Deep Energy bridge where Oceangate personnel are located. Cassano is asked by Oceangate personnel what the rescue plan is.

Cassano lays out the following: 1) Odysseus 6K is carrying two

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THE SEARCH AND RECOVERY OF THE MISSING OCEANGATE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE

The Odysseus 6K worked nearly around the clock from June 22nd to the 27th completing seven dives, each with a specific objective. (Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

spare USBL acoustic transponders to immediately attach to TITAN submersible when found. PRS has brought its senior surveyor and navigational personnel for expert execution; 2) Odysseus 6K is rigged for heavy lift and is prepared to directly connect to TITAN when located and then begin retrieval of TITAN to the surface.; 3) Cassano asks that the Horizon Arctic’s 3,000-meter ROV be prepared and readied to dive. The plan was then to have the Horizon Arctic ROV meet the Odysseus 6K once it passed through 3,000 meters and into Horizon Arctic ROV’s operational range. Cassano is informed that the Deep Energy ROV is, in fact already in the water and standing by at 1,700 meters. Cassano is also informed that Deep Energy has a lift line already at 3,000 meters with a USBL beacon marking the end.

16 |

With this information Cassano modifies the rescue plan to the following: Deep Energy ROV is sent to 2,700 meters, while the Horizon Arctic ROV is put on standby. If Odysseus successfully finds and attaches to TITAN it will begin retrieval to surface. Upon passing through 3,000 meters Deep Energy ROV will also grab onto TITAN. At this point the ROVs would move towards the lift line to locate and then subsequently attach this line to TITAN. It was likely the Horizon Arctic ROV would have been launched and also engaged to secure TITAN. This plan was agreed upon and implemented.

THURSDAY, JUNE 22ND – PRS arrives on site less than 24 hours after their departure. At 11:30 (UTC) the Horizon Arctic integrates into this ongoing multi-national rescue effort. An hour

later, the Odysseus 6K system is launched from the back deck and begins its descent.

Shortly after reaching the seafloor, PRS discovers the debris of the Titan submersible. Of course, they continue to document the site, but sadly by early afternoon a rescue mission officially turns into a recovery mission.

After the debris has been discovered, the U.S Coast Guard Incident Command reaches out to the families of the Titan crew. The operation continues in order to see what further recovery can be achieved.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27 TH – The integrated team of the Horizon Arctic and the Pelagic Team have spent the previous six days conducting 24-hour ROV operations, directed by the onsite commander. They use their heavy lift capabilities to recover all objects of interest highlighted by the Incident Response Team.

Rigged for rescue: the heavy-lift rigging and site-built tools being prepped for the initial dive to attach to Titan. (Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28TH – At 07:00 local mean time in St John’s Newfoundland, Horizon Arctic along with the Pelagic team arrive at the Canadian Coast Guard base. There, the recovered wreckage is offloaded, and the team demobilization begins.

Edward Cassano, CEO of Pelagic Research Services concluded: “We always knew and always wanted to be available for these types of situations. I wish the call never came, but we wanted to be ready when it did, and so we prepared the system for that, and designed it to withstand depths up to 6,000m. We could have been out on another job, and we wouldn’t have been out there. There were other assets that mobilised as well. There was a French ship with their vehicle, and they were very importantly there as backup. It was not a race, just everybody was going there. And we were designated as primary because of the thought that we will be arriving first, which we did.

“I think there is a lot to learn. We are very proud of the performance of our system very proud of the performance of our team. It performed. Our team performed. It achieved the mission at hand. We were very saddened that we couldn’t recover a viable sub, but beyond that the system performed.”

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

Courtesy of Pelagic Research Services

THE HEROES OF THE SEARCH: PELAGIC RESEARCH SERVICES' ROV ODYSSEUS 6K AND THE TEAM Designed by Pelagic Research Systems and built in collaboration with MPH Engineering, the Odysseus 6K ROV was born through a very strong assessment of the need for a nimble, mobile, science-class ROV system.

Since the system first became operational in 2016, PRS has had the privilege to successfully work with many institutional and commercial groups, including the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada, NOAA, and others.

The Odysseus 6K has an integrated LARS system, with a winch of 7,000m umbilical, a control room, and a workshop, and can be

mobilised from a vessel of opportunity.

the integrated team. The entire crew of the Horizon Arctic, Captain Adam Myers and Ed Cassano worked seamlessly together.

Importantly it has seven-function manipulators, high-definition 4K cameras, heavy-lift capability, and a multiplicity of tools to allow Edward Cassano, CEO of Pelagic Research them to work at depth. All the equipment and Services explained the success of the mission: everything on board must operate at a depth “The whole ROV operation, and our expert team of up to 6,000m. that we’ve assembled throughout the years The team was also crucial in the success of was part of the opportunity for success. We the operation. During the mission PRS had talk a lot about equipment, but it’s ultimately a team of nine, but they were immediately really about people. And we are really fortunate integrated into the larger structure of the to have really great people, and we were really Horizon Arctic. The Horizon Arctic’s own ROV fortunate to move into an environment where had six crew members, which became part of there was an equally high level of professionals.”

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SUB RESCUE PLANNING Tim Bulman, Co-founder & CEO, The Indepth Group

The Submersible (Human Occupied Vehicle) industry has a long-standing reputation for impeccable safety records, but this reputation was marred by the completely avoidable OceanGate tragedy.

This excellent safety record owes much to the industry’s adherence to the rules and regulations outlined by the classification bodies listed below.

1.

Det Norske Veritas (DNV)

2. Class NK or Nippon Kaiji Kyokai 3. American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) 4. Lloyd's Register 5. Bureau Veritas (BV) 6. China Classification Society 7.

Korean Register (KR)

8. RINA

For those unfamiliar with the story of Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson’s harrowing experience, it is documented in the book “No Time On Our Side”. This event was the basis for many of the rules and regulations in place today. It is commonly referred to as the deepest manned sub rescue ever at 1,575 feet, however it is not. There was another successful sub rescue at just over 1,800 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico in 2002, where a work class ROV intervened and freed the pilot within about 15 minutes after arriving on site.

In addition to providing rules for sub design, construction and operation, these entities perform regular surveys to ensure submersibles remain in safe operating condition.

Without a current class certificate, the sub is not able to get insurance nor legally continue to operate.

9. Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS)

Deepsea Challenger and Mk V Zodiac (Photo: Tim Bulman)

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SUB RESCUE PLANNING

Example of a thorough pre-dive sonar survey setup. This is on a working ship, and much more elaborate than it needs to be, but it provides unparalleled results. (Photo: Tim Bulman)

6000m ROV fully outfitted (Photo: Tim Bulman)

Submersibles, like life rafts or lifeboats, must carry essential supplies like food/water/emergency equipment to sustain a full crew for the planned dive duration, plus 96 hours. If a rescue is ever required, this time frame is the critical factor which dictates everything from equipment onboard, crew training, and emergency procedures.

On the surface, provisions for towing and recovery of the sub must be in place and your tender must be able to effectively tow the sub back to the mothership in all conditions.

The mothership should be nearby for a swift recovery especially in emergencies, and we recommend dive operations from the mothership. A Dynamic Positioning (DP) vessel is not mandatory, but highly recommended, as it keeps the captain and bridge crew involved, and quickly gives the sub crew extra support if necessary. This also minimizes boat traffic around the dive site and provides extra attention on weather conditions.

Like with most workplace mishaps, a well thought out risk assessments and prevention effort is the most effective method of avoiding incidents. Safety plans for a disabled sub underwater involve maintaining communication and knowing the sub’s location. Communication logs are updated every 15 minutes, and specific recovery steps are outlined in case of communication or tracking failure. Swift re-establishment allows the dive to continue; otherwise, emergency protocols must be initiated both underwater and on the surface.

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A 75KW sub rescue ROV that is also used to broadcast subsea footage throughout the vessel (Photo: Tim Bulman)

Entanglement prevention on new dive sites can include a site survey by ROV, AUV, or sonar prior to any diving. Proper sonar equipment and crew sonar training is essential.

Some operators choose well-known, hazard free dive sites within safe scuba diving limits, like Atlantis Submarines, which has safely conducted tourist subs dives worldwide for over 25 years.

Adherence to safe diving limits includes monitoring underwater visibility, maximum depth, maximum current and wind speeds, surface weather conditions and keeping clear of high traffic areas. Using a small tender as a surface vehicle may not effectively clear the area of traffic, making diving from the mothership the safest option.

Recent incidents, like the one in Antarctica where a tourist sub became entangled in shifting surface ice, underscore the importance of maintaining situational awareness. Having the mother ship conduct the dive helps ensure maximum situational awareness and readiness for a prompt recovery if needed. Operational procedures like this would have likely prevented that specific incident. No injuries were reported, however serious damage to the sub occurred. *Navigating around ice can be difficult from small boats and subs due to visibility close to the water line.

In addition to prevention efforts, having a self-help or outside rescue plan is essential. Self-help plans may involve

Tandem Diving with Triton 3K3 subs on OceanX (Photo: Tim Bulman)

4000m ROV fully outfitted for science (Photo: David O'Hara)

Sonar is essential for locating features, and avoiding hazards (Photo: Tim Bulman)

a second submersible diving in tandem, providing assistance in case of disability. Aside from added safety, one of the best things to see from a sub is a second sub.

The dives to Titanic in the 1990’s from the Russian MIR subs and the R/V Akademic Keldysh (in partnership with Deep Ocean Expeditions) was a prime example of this tandem dive operation. Check out “Ghosts Of The Abyss”, “Aliens Of The Deep”, or the classic movie “Titanic” with this in mind and you will see how incredible a dual sub dive is.

Another self-rescue option would be for the submersible operator to carry its own capable ROV onboard. This should go without saying, but the ROV must be maintained well, the crew trained well, and regular drills must be conducted. If these three things are not in place, it is worse than not having one as it will lure everyone into a false sense of security. If you can’t get your ROV to the sub and effect a rescue, then all you are doing is delaying a proper rescue vehicle from mobilizing.

The clock keeps ticking on that 96-hour window.

Outside rescue plans contract vessels with capable ROVs on standby, crewed and dive ready for the duration of the contract, although this can be costly for sub operators.

ALL ROVS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL Available ROVs can range from depth ratings of 30 metres to 6000m and vary in power from 350 watts to more than

LBV ROV (Courtesy of SeaBotix/Teledyne)

600m Mako ROV, courtesy SeaMor Marine (Photo: Tim Bulman)

120 Kilowatts of power. These obviously vary significantly in capability and carry tools from simple grippers to powerful 7 function hydraulic manipulators. Choosing the right ROV for depths of 500m or more is crucial; micro systems are not suitable for this task, mainly due to their lack of ability to get to depth. Battery powered ROVs are completely unsuitable for sub rescue applications.

The ROV can also serve additional functions, such as scientific exploration, and can enhance the experience for guests who can’t participate in submersible or scuba dives. It allows them to connect with the underwater world, making it an excellent option for people with claustrophobia or physical limitations. The live stream should be displayed on the bridge, but can also be viewed in personal cabins, or in the onboard theatre on larger vessels.

Whether you are looking to conduct subsea science and film work, or simply enjoy submersible exploration, planning the integration and accessory package should be a priority before purchasing any submersible. Space constraints and delivery times are always a consideration, but they should not be the main drivers in choosing a rescue system. The ability to effectively rescue a disabled sub in a timely manner must be the prime factor.

The Indepth Group can assist you in meeting your operational goals; Contact us in the early stages of project planning for best results: info@theindepthgroup.com

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Courtesy of Jack Rowley

PROTECTING OFFSHORE ENERGY SOURCES FOSSIL FUEL AND GREEN ENERGY HAVE COMMON GROUND Captain George Galdorisi (USN – retired)

The often fervent dialogue regarding generating energy typically breaks people into two camps. There are those who promote fossil fuel production, and those who favor green energy. Those who favor green energy are sometimes zealous in their arguments that the United States should eliminate fossil fuel dependence and rely only on green energy.

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PROTECTING OFFSHORE ENERGY SOURCES

As this debate rages, what is often lost in the arguments on both sides is that regardless of the type of energy being extracted or generated, those platforms that are offshore, especially oil rigs, oil and gas pipelines, and wind farms, are vulnerable to anyone who wants to attack these sources in wartime, or just to make a political statement.

One need look no further than the suspected sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines that run from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea, or the more recent likely sabotage of a natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, to understand the vulnerability of sea-based energy sources. Thus, the fossil fuel industry and the green energy industry do have one area in common – the need to protect their offshore platforms.

While there have been major strides in the development and fielding of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and others, for the foreseeable future, the world’s energy needs will continue to be met primarily by oil and natural gas.

Indeed, a Wall Street Journal article earlier this year, “Offshore Oil is Gushing Again,” noted that while just over 60% of available oil rigs worldwide were in use five years ago, today that number approaches 90%. Importantly, it is the offshore oil and gas industry that still provides a huge amount of United States’ energy.

According to Forbes Magazine, offshore energy production has been increasing over the past decade and now stands at over two-and-a-half million barrels of oil and almost three trillion cubic feet of gas a day. Also according to Forbes, the U.S. Department of the Interior has opened up 25 regions in the U.S. outer continental shelf to oil and gas exploration.

However, environmental concerns – impelled by major events such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (which fouled over 1,300 miles of shoreline from Florida to Texas) – have served as a brake on U.S. offshore drilling. And it is worth noting that the second largest marine oil spill in history, the Ixtoc 1 spill, also occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. These – and other – industry disasters have resulted in ongoing environmental activism that has given some second thoughts about the viability of continuing to drill for oil and gas offshore.

Courtesy of Jack Rowley

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Addressing these environmental worries has been a challenge for the oil and gas industry. Using current technology, ensuring the security of offshore assets is dull, dirty and dangerous work that impedes comprehensive inspections of these production rigs. Today, platform operators depend on divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) of various types to perform these inspections. This methodology is good as far as it goes, but ROVs have a limited field of view, and putting divers in the water always involves substantial risk and increasingly high cost.

Industry has proposed technology-enabled solutions that can provide faster and more thorough inspections of these enormously expensive platforms and insure against not only catastrophic disasters like Deepwater Horizon, but also more common issues like wear and tear of underwater components, especially due to storms and heavy seas. Indeed, after Hurricane Ida struck the United States in 2021, oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico for an extended time, and 80% of oil production there was offline for more than a week.

On the “green” side of the equation, offshore wind farms have seen explosive growth, and predictions of more wind farms in littoral waters point to exponential growth for this industry. Many offshore wind farms are in operation now, and more are planned. One analyst has described the waters off the east coast of the United States as, “The Saudi Arabia of wind energy.” Sadly, there has been little dialogue as to how to protect these expensive offshore wind farms, and like their “old” energy counterparts – oil and gas rigs – they are, and will remain, highly vulnerable.

Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC), a Florida-based manufacturer of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), has fielded a family of low-cost rugged and adaptable MANTAS and Devil Ray unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) built on a catamaran hull. Part of the attraction of using a USV such as MANTAS or Devil Ray to inspect offshore oil and gas platforms, pipelines and offshore wind farms is that these unmanned surface vehicles have seen extensive use in military exercises, experiments and demonstrations in both near-shore and open-ocean operations, as well as hundreds of hours of use in a number of civilian missions ranging from commercial canal and dam hydrography, to commercial power plant inspections, to port and harbor security.

Courtesy of Jack Rowley

To operationalize this inspection methodology, the MANTAS T12 (12-foot) USV has been equipped and tested with a wide variety of surface and below-surface sensors such as the SeaFLIR240 Gyro-stabilized High Definition EO/IR zoom camera, FLIR M364C-LR EO/thermal camera, Teledyne RESON T20 high resolution multi-beam sonar, Teledyne BlueView M900 echosounder and Norbit iWBMS STX multi-beam sonar, among others. Additionally, MARTAC has fielded T24 (24-foot) and T38 (38-foot) Devil Ray boats, capable of carrying all those already cited, plus more, sensors. Where the MANTAS T12 is battery powered electric motor driven and must be removed from the water for battery recharge/replace, the Devil Ray craft are diesel/gas inboard/outboard craft that will allow for multiple days on station before refueling is required.

This off-the-shelf technology can be used today to effect faster and more complete inspections of offshore oil/gas platforms along with their surrounding bottom mounted pipelines, valves and sensors, as well as offshore wind farms, while dramatically decreasing the need for human divers.

Under this concept, the inspection of components of oil rigs, pipelines, or offshore wind farms can be part of scheduled, routine checks, or be done on-demand to investigate something out of the ordinary discovered by watchstanders.

Courtesy of Jack Rowley

For surface investigation, which would include area security, external rig or offshore wind farm structure investigation and surface contact monitoring, among other missions that a Devil Ray USV is ideally suited for, the Devil Ray, which is already equipped with a Furuno DRS4D-NXT Doppler Radar and AIS, can be equipped with a SeaFLIR 280-HDEP MultiSpectral Surveillance System.

There are three primary missions where those responsible for oil rigs, pipelines, or offshore wind farms would utilize this USV concept. While not platform specific, the Devil Ray is used as an example because it can accommodate the sensors listed and has an endurance that complements and improves the mission performance:

Since one of the early indicators of material failure of oil rig components involves oil and other material from the rig seeping into the surrounding water (as happened during Hurricane Ida), the Devil Ray can be further equipped with water-monitoring sensors to include Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), Current-Temperature Depth (CTD) sensors, flourometers and others to detect changes in the water quality, or petroleum products in the immediate vicinity of the rig.

For underwater imaging, the Devil Ray can be equipped with Norbit iWBMS STX multi-beam sonar, a forward-looking or side-scan sonar, or any of many other commercial-off-theshelf underwater sensors.

Depending on the mission, operators can control the Devil Ray USV remotely and direct its mission manually, or use the USV in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode to search along a course through the use of pre-programmed

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PROTECTING OFFSHORE ENERGY SOURCES

Courtesy of Jack Rowley

waypoints. Most significantly, the video and sonar imaging from the Devil Ray can be sent directly to operators in realtime, thereby providing immediate notification of what the USV discovers above or below the water surface.

Anticipating near-term demand from the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind farms industries, MARTAC is developing concepts of operations (CONOPS) for how Devil Ray would be used to help ensure security of these energy resources. For example, an operator might have a Devil Ray on patrol on a predictable pattern inspecting the asset above and below water. If the USV discovers an anomaly and links the video back in real-time, the operator will be alerted, can switch to remote manual control, and can command the Devil Ray to linger in a particular area for more granular analysis using its integrated doppler radar, highdefinition camera and multi-beam sonar sensor suite.

If this investigation uncovers an area of concern, then a diver can be deployed to make a repair. Clearly, this CONOPS will secure the integrity of the energy platform, while also substantially reducing the false alarms generated of other methods.

Conversely, if the investigation does not reveal an issue, the Devil Ray can return to its autonomous mission profile that the operator had previously programmed for the USV.

The same USV technology that is poised to assist the oil and gas and offshore wind farm industries is already being used to inspect critical infrastructure such as harbors, ports, inland waterways, dams, levees, canals, bridges and other infrastructure that cannot be safely or effectively inspected by humans. For example, a MANTAS T12 USV was used to conduct inspections of the Keokuk dam and energy center, the Bagnell energy center, the Elkhart hydro dam, the Central Arizona Project canal and other infrastructure.

Oil and gas rigs, as well as offshore wind farm towers, while not necessarily bunched together, in some areas are close enough for numerous assets to share a single Devil Ray. With a cruise speed of 25-40 knots, burst speeds of up to 80 knots, and a cruising range in excess of 600 nautical miles, several offshore assets can share one Devil Ray USV. Energy companies – whether they deliver fossil fuel or green energy – have an imperative to protect their vulnerable offshore platforms. Current means of inspecting these rigs are slow, costly and hazardous. Employing commercial-off-the-shelf USVs like the Devil Ray can enhance their ability to deliver energy to America and the world.

Captain George Galdorisi (USN – retired) is a career naval aviator whose 30 years of active-duty service included four command tours and five years as a carrier strike group chief of staff. He is the author of 15 books, including four New York Times best-sellers.

Saab Seaeye

EMPOWERING World leading electric underwater robotics saabseaeye.com

Courtesy of Blueye Robotics

DISCOVERY OF TWO HISTORIC WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT

WRECKS IN TRONDHEIMSFJORDEN Jonas Follesø, Chief Technology Officer, Blueye Robotics

In the autumn of 2022 and winter of 2023, the Royal Norwegian Navy's HUGIN Team 1 discovered two new aircraft wrecks in Trondheimsfjorden. The wrecks were located with the assistance of the Hugin AUV, an autonomous wireless underwater vehicle programmed to map the seabed over a large area using sonars. The aircraft wrecks are at a depth of 253 m and 318 m respectively, and had never been visited by divers or submersibles before.

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DISCOVERY OF TWO HISTORIC WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT WRECKS IN TRONDHEIMSFJORDEN

Sonar image of the Wiking, captured using the Oculus multibeam (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

Few things excite the Blueye team more than the opportunity to explore new wrecks, and this autumn we conducted several dives on both aircraft. We’re excited to share the first images and some of the history of the BV-222-Wiking-V2 and the HE-115 S4+DK.

DISCOVERY BY THE 1ST MINESWEEPER SQUADRON Hugin is an AUV which was produced by Kongsberg Maritime and is one of the world's most advanced and capable underwater vehicles. It can dive down to the depth of 6,000 m and uses sonars, echosounders, and cameras to map the seabed. Hugin is wireless and can be pre-programmed to search over a large area at a given altitude. It resurfaces once its mission is complete, and the data can then be downloaded and analysed.

The 1st Minesweeper Squadron has two container-based autonomous mine-hunting systems based on Hugin, which can be loaded onto different ships as needed.

In September 2022, the HUGIN Team 1 of the 1st Minesweeper Squadron located the BV-222 aircraft at a depth of 318 m. In March 2023, they found the HE-115 at a depth of 253 m, just a few kilometres from the city centre of Trondheim.

One of the challenges of Hugin is that it needs to maintain a certain distance above the seabed to avoid the risk of getting stuck in the wrecks. Therefore, the Minesweeper

Ready to descend: Deploying the X3 ROV in the middle of Trondheimsfjorden (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

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12.000 additional lumen: The Blueye drone equipped with four external dimmable lights to film the wrecks (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

Squadron had not obtained close-up images of the aircrafts until Blueye was able to document the wrecks with two X3 underwater drones.

NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) has extensive experience with the combination of Hugin AUV and Blueye ROV. In 2022, they collaborated with FFI (Forsvarets Forskningsinstitutt) on “Mission Mjosa”. Hugin was used to map the lake bottom, while Blueye underwater drones were deployed to quickly investigate interesting findings. During the mission they discovered what could be the oldest known wreck in Norway’s largest lake.

BLOHM & VOSS BV-222 WIKING V2 The first wreck discovered by the Minesweeper Squadron, was quickly identified as the legendary Blohm & Voss BV-222 Wiking V2 seaplane. This 6-engine aircraft was the largest German seaplane used during World War II. Originally built as a passenger plane, only 13 of these aircraft were ever produced. The massive aircraft has a wingspan of 46 m, a length of 37 m, and a height of 10.9 m.

In Trondheim, this aircraft is well-known among history enthusiasts. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, two BV-222s were found in Sørreisa. Both were flown to Trondheim in June 1945. BV 222C-012 was transferred to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Calshot, England. BV 222 V2 remained in Trondheim and was moored off Skansen until

Maneuvering the ROV inside the wreckage at 318 meters depth is no walk in the park (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

Eager to explore: Jonas Follesø excited to test new technology development in real conditions (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

1000 kg and 6 m long: The HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (Courtesy of Norwegian Armed Forces)

October 1945. The U.S. Naval Flight Test Division conducted test flights but found little use for it. After experiencing engine problems, on October 10th the British decided to sink the aircraft. It was filled with surplus material from the old German seaplane harbour in Islvika, towed out into Trondheimsfjorden, and sunk. Since then, the exact location where the aircraft went down has remained unknown.

steady. To achieve this, we installed an electric MotorGuide GPS outboard motor on the bow of our 19-foot Buster boat.

This motor ensures that the boat remains in the same position without the need for anchoring or using the boat's main engine. We previously discussed utilising this type of GPS motor as an alternative to anchoring in an article about the vulnerable deep-sea corals on the Tautra Reef.

Local diving legend Kaj Sjølie had been searching for the wreck for decades. In 2003, Kaj believed he had finally found the BV-222 at a depth of 60 m off Munkholmen. However, it turned out to be the wreck of the Short Sunderland, which Blueye later visited numerous times.

Even though we had a secure position from the Minesweeper Squadron, the Oculus M750d multibeam sonar was helpful in quickly locating the wreck as we approached the seabed. Visibility can be poor, and during the 10 minutes it takes us to descend to 320 m, there is a chance of drift from the starting point.

The discovery of the Short Sunderland in 2003 led to new information about the BV-222 surfacing. Gunnar Bjørnshol told Adresseavisen that he had photographed the sinking of BV-222 from his home in Sverresli in 1945. In the news article, Bjørnshol mentioned that he had tried to locate the exact spot on the sea chart where the aircraft went down and estimated it to be at a depth of 300 to 350 m. This estimation proved to be accurate.

On 25 September 2022 – almost 77 years after the aircraft was sunk – it was rediscovered at a depth of 318 m, approximately one and a half nautical miles north of Østmarktangen lighthouse.

The aircraft lies upside down on the seabed, submerged about half a meter into the soft sediments. The fuselage has broken in two on its way down, and the tail section is located 250 m away from the wing section. All six engines are still attached to the wings. Where the tail has broken off, it is possible to enter the fuselage using the small Blueye ROVs.

The fact that the wreck lies at a depth of 318 m makes it the deepest wreck ever visited by Blueye. One of the key factors in operating at such depths successfully is keeping the boat

First to discover the wrecks: HUGIN Team 1 of the 1st Minesweeper Squadron (Courtesy of Norwegian Armed Forces)

HEINKEL HE-115 S4+DK The second new aircraft found is a Heinkel HE-115. This aircraft type is also well-known in Trondheim. There are two HE-115 aircraft wrecks at a depth of about 40 m in Ilsvika, where the Germans had a seaplane base during World War II. Blueye has visited and published videos from these wrecks several times before.

Steady hands: The Blueye team capturing close up video of the Heinkel’s broken-off nose section (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

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DISCOVERY OF TWO HISTORIC WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT WRECKS IN TRONDHEIMSFJORDEN

However, this time it's a new discovery at a depth of 253 m off Høvringen, a bit further out in the fjord. This is an entirely new find that had not been previously known about. The Justice Museum conducted a thorough investigation of the discovery and identified the aircraft as S4+DK. This was one of the 15 HE-115s that took off from the island of Sylt on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein on the 9 April 1945, bound for Trondheim.

The aircraft were to operate from Trondheim as reconnaissance planes along the coast from Trondheim to Nordkapp.

Knut Sivertsen at the Justice Museum writes, “In Trondheim, the 15 aircraft landed on April 9 in several groups between 0800 and 1600. Landing went smoothly for 14 of the planes, despite some damage to the pontoons due to the rough sea. However, it went worse for Staffelkapitän and mission leader Hauptmann Lienhart Martin Wiesand's aircraft. On the way north, the aircraft was fired upon by an English Sunderland flying boat from the Royal Air Force, and the aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage and pontoons, forcing Wiesand to land quickly. ”Wiesand attempted to land the aircraft on the fjord northwest of Munkholmen, but the landing failed, and the aircraft went up on its end and quickly sank. All three on board managed to exit the aircraft, but Wiesand disappeared.”

Sivertsen has investigated whether this should be considered a war grave if Wiesand went down with the wreck. His research has shown that this was not the case, as the pilot was found and likely cremated in Trondheim before the urn was returned to Germany.

The aircraft wreck lies upside down on the seabed. The wings and engines are attached to the fuselage. The glass dome at the front of the cockpit has come loose but appears to be mostly intact. On the fuselage, you can clearly see the identifier "D" painted in red next to the beam cross under the wings. Like many wrecks, a thriving marine life community has settled around and on the craft itself, including jellyfish, shells, sponges, deep-sea corals, shrimp, ling, and cusk.

Pitch black: The external lights brighten up the dark depths, as the drone moves carefully over the Heinkel wing (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

sunk whilst entering or leaving Trondheimsfjorden. German aircraft operated from airports at Værnes and Lade, as well as seaplane bases at Jonsvatnet, Ilsvika, and Hommelvika.

In 1994, Adresseavisen published an article about the "aircraft graveyard in Trondheimsfjorden," describing some of the aircraft believed to be in the fjord. The overview provides a glimpse of the significant air activity over Trondheimsfjorden during World War II. Since then, several of these aircraft have been found and documented. With the discovery of the BV-222-Wiking-V2 and HE-115 S4+DK, two new aircraft now have a known exact location on the map.

It has been nearly 80 years since World War II. Above water, most traces have disappeared. Underwater, however, we can still see the ship and aircraft wrecks as tangible reminders that Norway was once occupied and at war not that long ago.

Saltwater and the forces of the sea are taking a toll on these wartime relics, and their condition is rapidly deteriorating.

Documenting and sharing local history are an exciting and rewarding endeavour for us at Blueye, whilst also serving as an excellent way to test the technology we develop.

To capture the best possible images, we used two Blueye X3 vehicles, with one equipped with four additional lights.

THE AIRCRAFT GRAVEYARD IN TRONDHEIMSFJORDEN Since day one, exploring what lies beneath the surface has been a driving force for the Blueye team. As our technology has matured, we have expanded our reach to go deeper and operate longer.

The integration of additional payloads such as underwater positioning and sonars allow us to quickly locate wrecks even at great depths. Over time, we have become well-acquainted with some of the history lying on the bottom of Trondheimsfjorden.

Trondheim was a strategically important city during World War II. Tirpitz, one of the two largest battleships in the German navy, spent long periods at anchor in Åsenfjorden, a sidearm of Trondheimsfjorden. Numerous air raids were conducted against Tirpitz, and several allied aircraft were

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Good companions: A commercial diver diving alongside the Blueye ROV (Courtesy of Henrik Øgård)

Locked and loaded?: While exploring the Heinkel’s nose section, it was discovered that the MG-15 machine gun is still in place (Courtesy of Blueye Robotics)

TRANSFORM YOUR CAPABILITY

REAL-TIME IMAGING IN ALL CONDITIONS Oculus Multibeam Imaging Sonars

High resolution imaging in turbid water for improved situational awareness and target identification. Available in 375kHz to 3.0MHz. Depth rated to 500m, 1000m, or 4000m.

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“These underwater ROVs can dive to greater depths than the Coast Guard’s own divers and can reach longer distances faster. This expands the Coast Guard’s operational radius and increases efficiency in the execution of the Coast Guard’s many tasks.”

— Torill Herland, Commanding captain and Communications Officer, Royal Norwegian Navy

www.blueyerobotics.com

An illustration of the DriX USV deployed in conjunction with the Freedom™ AUV system as a tracking and communication tool. (Courtesy of Oceaneering)

Please check out our website on:

www.oceanroboticsplanet.com

DRIX AND FLIPIX

EXAIL'S SMART SOLUTION FOR BATHYMETRIC, GEOPHYSICAL AND UXO SURVEYS Olivier Moisan, DriX Operations Manager, Exail

Unveiling a world first: with the combined use of DriX Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) and FlipiX Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle (ROTV), Exail pushes the boundaries of technology to provide its customers with a unique uncrewed solution that will revolutionise the way bathymetric and geophysical surveys are conducted.

The ocean is more Important than ever for mankind.

With the development of offshore windfarms, cables and pipelines, accurate surveys of the seabed are vital before installing any infrastructure. Regular surveys are also crucial in monitoring the status of operational underwater systems.

Leveraging many years of experience, Exail has designed, tested, and launched FlipiX: a brand new ROTV to meet the needs of the offshore industry willing to perform high-resolution geophysical and inspection surveys with the DriX autonomous USV. FlipiX is an underwater ROTV with active motion control towed by DriX USV, Exail’s 7.7m Uncrewed Surface Vehicle. With a length of 1.8 m, a width of 2.7m for a weight of 68 kg, FlipiX is a compact and versatile vehicle. It can be operated at fixed altitude or fixed depth, as close as 2m above the seabed for optimum measurement quality and UXO detection. The pitch and roll movements are actively stabilized as well as altitude. FlipiX is towed by a fixed-length cable from the USV. Its positive buoyancy is a significant advantage in operation.

DriX USV and FlipiX ROTV (Courtesy of Exail)

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DRIX AND FLIPIX: EXAIL'S SMART SOLUTION FOR BATHYMETRIC, GEOPHYSICAL AND UXO SURVEYS

Courtesy of Exail

During a typical survey mission, if DriX stops, then FlipiX will slowly move upward to the surface. As soon as DriX restarts its mission pattern, FlipiX resumes its position at the requested depth/altitude. During a survey, DriX can take sharp turns in between survey lines, with FlipiX following behind and maintaining the same depth. This stability and accuracy are hugely beneficial in increasing the efficiency of surveys for the end user.

DRIX AND FLIPIX, AN OUTSTANDING COMBINATION FOR MULTI-SENSOR DATA ACQUISITION DriX and FlipiX have been designed around the "Open Platform" concept. Thanks to their open architecture, they can accommodate best-in-class payloads for a wide spectrum of missions.

As an example of configuration tested at sea, DriX's payload gondola was fitted with an Exail's Phins Compact C7 Inertial Navigation System, a multibeam echosounder coupled with a Valeport MiniSVS, an Exail Echoes T1 sub-bottom profiler and Exail Gaps M5 USBL system to position the FlipiX underwater.

The FlipiX is currently equipped with an EdgeTech 4205 Sidescan sonar, a G882 magnetometer from Geometrics towed 2m behind FlipiX and a Valeport MiniSVS fitted with a pressure sensor to perform sound velocity profiles during the ROTV’s dive from the surface to the seabed. FlipiX’s real-time underwater position is tracked by the MT9 transponder.

For customers, one of the main advantages of using DriX and FlipiX together is that in a single pass, sailing between 5 to 6kts, these two vehicles provide high-resolution seabed mapping combining multibeam, sub-bottom, side-scan sonar, and magnetometer data. The initial returns on experience gathered by Exail's teams during several test campaigns and operations at sea are very positive. With DriX and FlipiX, Exail is now able to provide its customers with a unique solution to quickly collecting the most accurate data.

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The FlipiX ROTV (Courtesy of Exail)

DriX USV and FlipiX ROTV operating together to provide outstanding data in a single pass.

(Courtesy of Exail)

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

INTO THE OCEAN

UNDERWATER ROBOTICS UNCOVER NEW WAYS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE Xavier Orr, CEO and Co-founder of Advanced Navigation

Among explorers, there is a common saying that we know more about the surface of the Moon than the depths of our oceans. As the last great frontier of human exploration, the ocean floor is home to potentially millions of species waiting to be discovered. With the growing advancements in technology, there is now an opportunity to further explore these depths and use that knowledge to tackle one of the biggest global threats: climate change.

The ocean covers 70% of the earth’s surface and holds over 90% of all life. However, it is under constant threat with pollution building up. Reversing the situation starts with building data- and information-based knowledge around what’s happening down there. This could include valuable oceanographic data that reflect rising sea levels, new natural resources and minerals that could inspire new innovation, and many more.

But it isn’t that simple. There is a reason the ocean remains largely unexplored – its average depth is 3,500 metres, which not only presents a challenge for machinery but is also extremely unfeasible and unsafe for humans to traverse to.

To overcome these hurdles, humans have come up with alternative methods in the forms of ROVs, AUVs and specialised underwater vehicles. Overtime, however, this presented

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INTO THE OCEAN: UNDERWATER ROBOTICS UNCOVER NEW WAYS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

new sets of challenges. In today’s world where industries are aiming for efficient and cost-effective missions, launching a large vessel along with a specialised crew proves to be a complex and expensive process.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES WITH MICRO-AUVS The need for more frequent and sustainable underwater missions was evident. AI robotics and navigation leader Advanced Navigation spotted an opportunity for change and launched Hydrus, a fully autonomous underwater robot that miniaturised multiple technologies to enable a dronelike experience for users underwater. This introduced the concept of micro-AUVs to the market.

Hydrus is transforming undersea research, inspection, detection, and classification by making data capture simple and accessible. Weighing in at less than 7kg, it is an all-in-one autonomous solution ready for use directly out of the box. It can be launched and retrieved by a single person, alleviating the need for expensive survey vessels, watercraft, highly trained operators and divers. Its compactness naturally

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Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

means simpler logistics, minimal complexity and reduced operational costs. This is critical considering the rate of change in oceans is accelerating, therefore necessitating more constant access to knowledge to help humans analyse the ocean’s condition.

Featuring a 4K 60 FPS camera coupled with powerful lighting, Hydrus ensures the highest quality video and photography.

An AI image-processing system dynamically balances its camera settings and lighting, and compensates for turbidity even in the most challenging conditions.

Hydrus’s lightweightness, ease of use and AI-imaging capabilities mean it can efficiently perform repetitive inspection tasks like no other vehicles. This opens up an array of applications, such as offshore wind turbines, reef monitoring, navigational buoy moorings, and environmental mapping even around complex structures. Hydrus can also remain resident to the area via an underwater docking station, which it can use to charge, deploy itself, and upload and download mission data using an optical modem.

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

DEMOCRATISING OCEAN RESEARCH AND DATA Being able to regularly gather high resolution ocean data helps humans to measure the severity of devastating climate events.

Hydrus democratises this data by making it accessible to all users, regardless of their technical background. Its intuitive mission-planning software negates the need for professional training or qualified operators. Similar to Google Maps, users can point and click using the simple web interface to plan and execute underwater missions in 3D from any computer.

Its open platform also allows users to run their own code on the vehicle, such as machine vision software, which can provide real-time activity and decision making. It does this by analysing video footage upon which one or more actions can be taken, such as detecting and tracking a marine species or subsea assets. Other data is logged on board which can be retrieved after the completion of a mission for post-processing.

Hydrus is being used to discover why some of the ocean’s greatest climate change events are occurring. This includes CO2 absorption, reef bleaching, new diseases, loss of sea life and biodiversity,

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

Courtesy of Advanced Navigation

coastal erosion, fishery decline and more. As the public gains a better perception about the links in our biosphere, Hydrus can play a role in building on that knowledge by making underwater data accessible. For example, starting with the understanding of how runoff from farms affects ocean asphyxiation, such data can show how this will affect coral growth, which then affects fish stock translating to poor fisheries and aquaculture.

A ROBOTIC FUTURE The ocean is changing rapidly, and it is the single biggest component in Earth’s climate engine, yet we have almost no observations of the subsurface ocean to understand how these changes are affecting the things we care about.

Despite the challenges, humans have more potential than ever before to open up discoveries underwater. Whilst there is no quick and fast answer, it is clear that robotic technologies are the key to this. The ongoing climate crisis showcases the need for industries to continue to invest in emerging innovations as they are crucial to helping us explore the next frontier and in turn protect the planet.

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Micron Gemini Find what you are looking for

Multibeam imaging sonar Depth & pressure readings Optional AHRS

Anchoring Remote Operated Vehicle (AROV) Operations (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

SUBSEA ANCHORING

FOR A GREENER FUTURE SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies are on a mission to develop and deploy the world’s greenest marine anchoring solutions for the global offshore energy and aquaculture industries. For over a decade their team have been developing rock anchoring technologies that can revolutionise the traditional approach to foundation systems. These include gravity anchors or drilled and grouted piles, with a cost-effective, rapidly deployable, and environmentally sensitive solution. At the core of this approach are the lifecycle cost reductions, and lower carbon footprint of the overall installed anchor solution.

SWIFT ANCHORS AND INSTALLATION PROCESS At the centre of this solution are the Groutless Self-Drilling Rock Anchors (Swift Anchors), a type of system that utilises the load bearing capacity of rock. The technology opens up previously disregarded or challenging sites with rock seabed, where traditional anchor types cannot be adopted or are not cost effective.

Unlike traditional drilled anchor piles that require the use of grout to secure them in place, Swift Anchors rely on a mechanical interlock between the anchor and the surrounding rock to provide stability. The harder the rock, the better the Swift Anchor works. This provides a stronger, more efficient load capacity for the end product.

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SUBSEA ANCHORING FOR A GREENER FUTURE

Anchoring Remote Operated Vehicle (AROV) Operations (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

Swift Anchor (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

There are many advantages to Swift Anchors, including reducing the impact on the seabed during the installation process. The technology can be installed much faster than traditional drilled and grouted anchors.

The anchors can be installed in just a single overboarding of the equipment and can withstand a load immediately.

This process results in shorter installation times, meaning reduced charter times and costs. This is especially true at tidal sites, where one suitable anchor can be installed in as little as 20-25 minutes.

This installation process can be carried out in any water depth and currently the limit is only set by the associated drilling rig, which is currently 1,000m.

SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies own a suite of tools including the AROV and the Remote Intervention Tool (RIT) to install and conduct future decommissioning/operation and maintenance of their anchors.

ANCHORING REMOTE OPERATED VEHICLE (AROV) The AROV is used for the installation of the Swift Anchors.

The vehicle has been developed in-house to pair directly with SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies’ unique Groutless Self-Drilling Rock Anchors. It simplifies and accelerates the

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installation of the anchoring solutions, even in tough conditions, and can install rock anchors in a single operation.

The AROV is operable to 1,000m and weighs 10t, so it only needs small cranes. It can obtain core samples up to 4m in length, and a 3m anchor can be installed in 45 minutes, deckto-deck in 35m of water. The whole vehicle is shippable in a standard 20ft flat rack container. Furthermore, the AROV is equipped with a subsea HPU, and a self-levelling mast to compensate for unevenness on the seabed.

REMOTE INTERVENTION TOOL (RIT) The RIT is used for inspection and maintenance of anchors once they have been installed by the AROV. This vehicle has also been developed in-house and is a multifunctional device that positions itself to the anchor by means of an anchor gripping system.

Its functions include anchor and mooring inspection, and it was designed to facilitate multiple tasks. These include mooring stab, inspection of moorings and anchors, mooring release, and anchor re-tensioning. It also allows for decommissioning of the anchor at end of the project, via the simple release of anchor tension. Multiple subsea tasks can be performed on the seabed using a crane and manipulator arm.

RIT is also equipped with a subsea crane, an anchor tensioning tool, schilling manipulator, and an anchor gripping system.

The Anchoring Remote Operated Vehicle (AROV) No.2 (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

Remote Control Station (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

The Anchoring Remote Operated Vehicle (AROV) No.1 (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

The Remote Intervention Tool (RIT) (Courtesy of SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies)

OFFSHORE OPERATIONS AND LAUNCH AND RECOVERY Both the AROV and the RIT can be launched and recovered by the ship’s standard crane. The AROV is fitted with a GPS and needs to be positioned ahead of deployment on the seabed.

Meanwhile the RIT also has the ability to move itself on the seabed as a tracked vehicle.

Both the AROV and RIT can be deployed with the aid of a smaller DP type multi-purpose vessel, without the need for costly heavy-lift capabilities. They’re controlled by a remotecontrol station to be used for topside control and installation verification on the vessel. The operator control functions include cameras, sonar, and instrumentation. They also have a SCADA system for data logging and analysis from the topside operations room for AROV or RIT. The remote-control station is self-contained in a 20ft ISO container for easy logistics.

The Swift Anchors can be deployed with the aid of smaller DP type multi-purpose vessels, and without the need for costly heavy-lift capabilities. Also, they require less deck space than traditional anchors require. In return, the ability to carry multiple anchors on a single deployment result in lower numbers of vessel transits, and lower carbon emissions and costs.

For nearshore smaller applications, one Multicat Type installation vessel can be used. These are usually readily

available, low-cost day rate vessels. They are capable of carrying the deck spread of an AROV, the control container, and the genset. Furthermore, they have the ability to carry several smaller rock anchors on a single deployment. Their max crane capacity of 20t will cater for the existing AROV, RIT, and Swift Anchors.

For larger offshore applications, DP2 MPV Type installation vessels can be used. These are still lower cost than typical larger heavy lift vessels, or other assets that are used for deployment of traditional anchor applications in rock locations (e.g., with a gravity base). These vessels are capable of carrying the deck spread of the AROV, the control container, and multiple anchors on a single deployment. This again reduces both transit time and costs. Their max crane capacity of 100t would cater for next generation AROVs and larger rock anchors or templates.

SCHOTTEL Marine Technologies’ exciting new seabed anchoring solution with robotics is poised to increase the commercial viability of projects in locations that were not suitable in the past for anchoring using traditional methods. We expect to see these projects take off in sectors such as floating offshore wind, marine renewables (wave and tidal energy), aquaculture, and more. These industries will be anchored to the future using AROV and RIT robotics technologies.

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BUYER’S GUIDE

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW RESEARCH VESSEL

TAKE A TOUR OF FALKOR (TOO) Article pulled from video tour given by Eric King, Senior Director of Operations, Schmidt Ocean Institute as part of the 2023 Virtual Symposium “Setting the Course”

Welcome to Research Vessel Falkor (too). During their recent 17-month refit period Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) has transformed a commercial vessel into one of the most state-of-the-art oceanographic research ships working today.

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SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW RESEARCH VESSEL – TAKE A TOUR OF FALKOR (TOO)

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

R/V Falkor (too) is a 110.6m (363ft) long research class vessel.

We have added scientific equipment and systems that are now being used by scientists from all disciplines of oceanography.

Other additions included a science mass with sonar systems, an A-frame, cranes, laboratories, new accommodation spaces, new public areas, areas for scientists to set up their experiments, and robotic laboratories. The institute brought on to R/V Falkor (too) their 4,500-meter capable underwater robot, ROV SuBastian, that was designed and built in-house. The ship can support 24-hour operations with the ROV.

CRANE AND MOON POOLS R/V Falkor (too) has a 150-ton active heave compensating crane that can support deploying and recovering packages with down

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Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

to about 2,000 meters. It can also do this through the middle of the aft deck where there is a 7.2m × 7.2m moon pool.

The vessel has two moon pools with removable hatches to support lowering and recovering equipment. This allows the vessel to go to really remote ports where there is limited shore side infrastructure. SOI can now do all that in-house with our own cranes.

AFT DECK Just as impressive is the over 900 square meter of open deck space. We've left the ship infrastructure in such a way that we can bring robotics systems that are containerized. The ship has both short- and long-term storage.

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

The 30-ton A-frame that sits on the aft deck was built in Spain and has incorporated features from some of the best A-frames on research vessels from around the world.

On the main deck is the large offshore five-motor active heave compensating winch with a 0.680 size wire that we can run through our new A-frame. SOI used this winch on our ROV SuBastian onboard R/V Falkor and have been able to repurpose it here onto this ship. It’s cabled and networked in, so we can control this remotely from inside the ship.

ROV HANGER AND LARS The ship has hangars for ROVs and our CTD systems. We have a spare hangar with a side Baltic door side shell door that's going to be available for scientists to bring their instruments that they might want to deploy from within the ship. SOI has added A-frame, a work boat davit, and we've reconfigured the cranes that were on board here for over the side handling gear and equipment.

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

The hangar is a four-story volume space that expands the entire width of the ship and in the middle of this hangar is a 5.4m x 5.4m moon pool that directly opens to the sea. We can launch and recover robotic vehicles in here, through a cursor system located at the top of the hanger.

Falkor (too) was designed to operate two ROVs at the same time. The ship can remain on station far longer than with R/V Falkor because the ship has three bow thrusters and two stern thrusters. The stern thrusters are Voight Schneider propellers that are essentially eggbeaters that spin around at a high rate of RPM. Within eight seconds you can change the pitch and the direction of these blades, allowing you to go in a fraction of the time. The propellers allow for precision

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

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SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW RESEARCH VESSEL – TAKE A TOUR OF FALKOR (TOO)

location positioning over the sea floor, whether it's for ROV launch and recovery, or recovering a buoy, float, or AUV. The stability of this ship and the launch and recovery system makes it an excellent deep-sea platform.

On the port side of the vessel lies the workhorse system of every oceanographic research vessel – the CTD water sampling system. The CTD is supported from a J frame that can launch over the side and can be controlled from inside the computer and electronics laboratory. When we bring the CTD water sampling system back to the deck, scientists can take water samples, and the water that we don't need can drain right to the floor. This unique deck was constructed so the remainder of the hanger can stay dry.

OUTDOOR LOUNGE An important feature that SOI added to the ship is an outdoor lounge. This space is not just for recreational purposes for the crew and the scientists but acts as important place for meetings and perhaps seminars. We have Wi-Fi coverage throughout the whole ship, and a clear comms system which allows you to communicate with an ROV whether you're on the AFT deck, in the mission control room, or you're out in the outdoor lounge.

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

LABS SOI has added eight laboratory spaces on this ship. There is the dirty wet lab; the area where the scientists, the researchers, engineers, and technologists can begin processing the materials, or the samples that they've just brought up from the ocean. This area is kind of your stage one on this ship for sampling management. Additional labs include a 105 sq. meter main lab, hydro lab, wet lab, science seawater lab, computer electronics lab, robotics lab, and cold lab to preserve animals and specimens

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

Most of the labs now have five different gas lines that can support hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, plus an additional line for scientists to bring what they choose, and inert gas. We have added a compressed dry air in every laboratory, deionized water, cold water, hot water, uncontaminated water, and incubator water. A couple of the other laboratories have microplastic water too.

The mission control room is where we control ROV SuBastian.

All the screens here can be turned into quad screens, and we have spaces for the pilots, the co-pilots, and the chief scientists.

Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

There is also a room where we have 3D printing set up to support scientists with making a variety of bits and pieces that they might need for their instruments.

To learn more about the vessel or submit an expression of interest to conduct research on the vessel visit schmidtocean. org. SOI is currently taking submissions for Expressions of Interest for 2025 expeditions in the Southern Ocean and Southwest Atlantic, due Jan. 1, 2024.

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Courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute

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MTS AND MATE II OFFICIALLY COME TOGETHER TO

INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF OCEAN LEADERS

The Marine Technology Society (MTS) is thrilled to announce the integration of MATE Inspiration for Innovation (MATE II) and its signature program, the MATE ROV Competition, into the society’s lineup of program offerings. By combining efforts, MTS and MATE can enhance their reach and impact in inspiring young minds and preparing them for careers in marine technology.

The long-time collaboration between MTS and MATE II proves the commitment to the development of the marine technology sector and the promotion of STEM education. By joining forces, these two non-profits can pool their expertise, resources, and networks to have an even greater impact on fostering the next generation of ocean leaders.

The announcement marks an exciting homecoming for the Competition. The organization’s renowned competition was created in partnership with the MTS ROV Committee in 2001, designed to address the industry’s need for up-and-coming talent. The importance of advancing underwater robotics cannot be overstated, particularly in the areas of exploration, research, environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, as well as various commercial and industrial applications. The MATE ROV Competition provides students with real-world technical challenges and exposes them to potential career paths in marine technology, oceanography, robotics, and engineering.

Together, MTS and MATE II can leverage their complementary strengths to raise awareness about the importance of marine technology, lower barriers of entry to underwater robotics and related industries, support students, and help them develop the confidence and skills needed to carry these fields into the future.

“By uniting current professionals with the next generation of marine technologists, we are forming a bridge and establishing a route for young professionals to further their progress in marine technology,” said Chris Ostrander, MTS Chief Executive Officer.

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MATE II will operate as a division within MTS, which looks forward to leveraging its reach to bring the MATE ROV Competition to new communities. The integration will also provide a unique avenue to develop MTS Sections in new locations, expand member benefits, and bring enriching opportunities to MTS members to mentor and support younger students. “Our earliest point of connection to the MTS community currently is with undergraduate students.

With MATE’s massive community of K-12, college, and university students, MTS can expand our reach tremendously, commended Ostrander.

MATE II saw a major need for a post-competition career and professional development program to be available for graduates, but unfortunately, have never had the bandwidth or resources to do so. “We are now able to provide graduating MATE participants with a direct pathway to their next stop – the MTS member community,” commented Jill Zande, Executive Director, and President of MATE II, now Executive Director of MATE within MTS. MTS provides individuals with an opportunity to develop in the marine technology community through mentorship, networking opportunities and professional development.

“Overall, people want to feel part of a community,” expressed Zande. “Joining forces with MTS allows us to provide our students with a home and support network as they graduate from the competition and continue on their journey to become early career ocean professionals.”

The integration of the MATE ROV Competition into MTS’s program offerings can foster connections between students, educators, industry professionals, and researchers. Overall, this partnership holds great promise in inspiring and preparing the next generation of innovators and leaders in marine technology. It is a significant step forward in connecting today’s leaders of marine technology with the next generation.

Port of San Diego Harbor Police recover one of the student-built unmanned surface vessels that served as surrogate targets during multi-agency Exercise Bay Shield 2023 in San Diego Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Alexander Gray)

SMALL UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS

COULD POSE A BIG THREAT

AS A WATERBORNE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED) MULTI-AGENCY HARBOR SECURITY EXERCISE BAY SHIELD 2023 HELD IN SAN DIEGO

By Captain (Ret.) Edward Lundquist, US Navy

The multi-agency, full-scale Area Maritime Security Training Exercise Program “Exercise Bay Shield 2023” was conducted on Sept. 26 in and around San Diego Harbor, with a very real and challenging threat of a waterborne improvised explosive device (IED) aboard a small unmanned surface vessel (USV).

The exercise was conducted by U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego and the Port of San Diego Harbor Police, under the auspices of the Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC). Bay Shield 2023 featured personnel participating on patrol vessels, ashore and in the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC).

The San Diego AMSC is chaired by the commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego, who is the Captain of the Port (COTP).

The AMSC Committee assists the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC) in developing, reviewing, and updating the Area Maritime Security Plan (AMSP) for their area of responsibility. That includes conducting appropriate exercise to help port partners better respond to potential threats.

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SMALL UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS COULD POSE A BIG THREAT AS A WATERBORNE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED)

Coast Guard personnel deploy one of the student-built unmanned surface vessels that were used during multiagency Exercise Bay Shield 2023 in San Diego Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Alexander Gray)

The small unmanned surface vessels (USVs) used multiagency Exercise Bay Shield 2023 were based on actual boats recovered by the Coast Guard. The boats were reverseengineered by students at Rice University and San Diego State University to be used in improving detection and tracking capabilities of small waterborne targets. Chain was placed inside the vessel to simulate the weight of the payload.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Alexander Gray)

The Bay Shield 2023 scenario utilized small USVs that were based on actual autonomous boats that have been recovered by the Coast Guard in the last several years.

As part of a Coast Guard-sponsored project with the National Security Innovation Network, students from Rice University in Houston and San Diego State University in California reverseengineered the USVs and built replicas that have been very helpful in determining how best to detect them. The Rice and SDSU boats were used in Bay Shield 2023 to evaluate detection methods and for maritime law enforcement personnel to find and ascertain the threat with realistic targets.

The USVs are small, slow-moving targets. They about a meter long, have a freeboard of just 18 centimeters, and travel at about 2.5 knots, thus making it extremely difficult to see with the naked eye or detect with cameras or radar, especially in the busy environment of San Diego Harbor.

As part of the exercise, a pair of Innovative Signal Analysis WAVcam surveillance systems provided long-range, wide field of view surveillance capability that was able to detect the small boats from advantage point on Point Loma. Each WAVcam has a 90-degree field of view, so the two unites provided 180degree coverage looking out on the harbor and its approaches.

The WAVcams provided an alert for operators in the JHOC that a suspicious object had been observed and was being tracked.

Coast Guard Sector San Diego personnel maneuver their Response Boat-Medium to interdict a suspicious object as part of multi-agency Exercise Bay Shield 2023 in San Diego Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Alexander Gray)

immediately call upon the experts with the appropriate capabilities to examine it, collect evidence or forensics, or render it safe.”

According to Szczechowicz, the objectives of Bay Shield 2023 were to evaluate the JHOC’s sensor capabilities to detect a small USV near the harbor entrance and dispatch appropriate units to investigate; evaluate the ability of law enforcement and government agencies to respond, assess and report; evaluate how the participants recovered and rendered safe the USV; and evaluate the utility and accuracy of the 2022 Interagency Underwater Port Assessment for San Diego, to include the methods and locations where explosive threats could be rendered safe.

Following the detection and interdiction phase on the water, U.S. Navy EOD, FBI, San Diego Bomb Squad, along with the Coast Guard and Port of San Diego Harbor Police worked together to neutralize the target in the shore phase on Coronado’s Silver Strand.

The San Diego Harbor entrance is about 15 miles from the international border with Mexico, so the scenario represents a legitimate threat.

Not all the participating agencies normally work on the water, so the opportunity to operate in the maritime domain broadened their experience, Szczechowicz said.

The USVs are extremely small and low in the water, and thus difficult to see or track. Other small moving objects in the water can create false positive contacts, such as birds and floating debris. The system can determine if something is an object that should be designated as an actual track, or something as small as sea lions, which might briefly stick their fore-flippers above the surface while the rest of their bodies stay submerged, for example.

The exercise benefited from the involvement of facilitators from Coast Guard’s Exercise Support Team 5, based at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, in the planning, execution and evaluation of Bay Shield 2023.

Under normal circumstances, finding something in the water might not warrant concern. “When we encounter a small suspicious boat, lacking any specific intelligence, we don’t know what it is,” said Sector San Diego’s Kris Szczechowicz, the executive secretary for the San Diego AMSC and exercise planning team lead, Bay Shield 2023. “It could be narcotics, an IED, or just a toy or a chunk of wood. And that means we might not

POSD Harbor Police Chief Magda Fernandez emphasized the importance of the players, controllers, and evaluators from the different participating federal, state and local agencies working together and conducting meaningful training such as Exercise Bay Shield 2023. “It’s really important that we collaborate,” Fernandez said. “We're just one incident away from something like this happening.”

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After the operational phase in the morning, participants came together to review and assess the response actions, and collect best practices and lessons learned.

EA RLY BIRD RA T ES AV AIL AB L E – R EGISTER NOW SAE Media Group Proudly Present the 9th Annual...

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HERE FOR YOU NOVEMBER 29 DECEMBER 1, 2023 NEW ORLEANS Morial Convention Center, Halls B, C, D, E & F

Use code “OCEAN” for your free pass to the International WorkBoat Show and Underwater Intervention

After a three-year hiatus, Underwater Intervention is back and has joined the International WorkBoat Show!

Underwater Intervention attracts a global audience of engineers, technical specialists, industry leaders and experts, to share ideas, debate the issues of the moment and to create common agendas for the future of the industry.

Underwater Intervention features some of the world’s leading figures within the upstream oil and gas industry coupled with technical sessions covering the most current challenges and up-to-date strategies and technologies.

Underwater Intervention will be located directly on the WorkBoat show floor and admission is included in your Expo Pass.

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BRIAN GAUVIN PHOTO

EXCLUSIVE FOR OCEAN ROBOTICS READERS

The SDSU USV operating in San Diego Harbor.

(Courtesy of Innovative Signal Analysis)

CLASS PROJECT

STUDENTS REVERSEENGINEER CAPTURED UNMANNED SMUGGLING BOATS TO HELP THE COAST GUARD FIND THEM

By Captain (Ret.) Edward Lundquist, US Navy

Finding evidence of relatively unsophisticated but virtually undetectable boats used to smuggle narcotics across the maritime border between the U.S. and Mexico has led to a National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) funded project where students reverse-engineered the boats to create targets to help improve detection.

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STUDENTS REVERSE-ENGINEER CAPTURED UNMANNED SMUGGLING BOATS TO HELP THE COAST GUARD FIND THEM

The Rice University team and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Galveston response boat crew complete a long day of testing in the Gulf of Mexico with the USV designed and built by the students based on actual smuggling USVs recovered by the Coast Guard. Both Rice and San Diego State University participated in the project, sponsored by the Coast Guard and the National Security Innovation Network. The boats have served as surrogates to learn how to best detect these threats using existing surveillance systems. (Courtesy of Rice University)

Rice University students and faculty join U.S. Coast Guard personnel to take their unmanned surface vessel (USV) to sea for trials. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted the demonstration with the prototype unmanned autonomous surface vessel to sea to better understand how to detect small UASVs being used for illegal trafficking across the maritime border with Mexico.

(Courtesy of Rice University)

Since 2018, several small, homebuilt unmanned autonomous surface vessels (UASVs) have been found in Southern California in the water or on the shore. These boats were either being used for testing or actual movement of illegal payloads from Mexico into the U.S. Four of the UASVs were seized between 2018 and 2021, with a likelihood that others went gone undetected. The boats are about a meter long and can carry about 40 kilograms of illegal narcotics or other hazardous cargo. They are autonomously navigated along a preprogrammed route and can travel for about 66 nautical miles at a speed of about 2.5 kts.

While these boats are small, they pose a big potential threat. According to officials from U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego, the UASV’s above-water profile is minimal, which makes these devices obscure to existing maritime domain awareness tools and detection capabilities. Not only are they capable of reaching uninhabited shores with illegal narcotics, but they could also be capable of

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A pair of WAV surveillance cameras provide high-resolution, long-range imagery of the Galveston Bay. (Courtesy of Innovative Signal Analysis)

penetrating defense layers surrounding coastal and harbor based high-value targets, such as military bases, bridges, commercial ports, power plants, or other critical infrastructure with explosives.

The Coast Guard took advantage of funding from the NSIN, a Department of Defense (DoD) office under the Defense Innovation Unit, which collaborates with major universities to develop innovative national security solutions. Students are given an assignment to utilize their specialized technology skills to investigate a problem defined by DoD and develop a prototype. Students receive college credit while learning from DoD leaders how their skillsets solve real-world national security problems.

Engineering students from San Diego State University (SDSU) in California and Rice University in Texas were challenged with building vessels that could replicate the threat and determine how best to detect them in the maritime environment.

Although a small USV is dwarfed by large ships like this U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the boats pose a real threat if smuggling contraband or packed with explosives. (Courtesy of Innovative Signal Analysis)

The WAV surveillance system was able to detect and track a small USV among the other traffic in the busy San Diego harbor. The WAV system provides a 90-degree field of view, and can operate as two units together for 180-degree coverage. Both daylight and nighttime thermal cameras can be used. (Courtesy of Innovative Signal Analysis)

The SDSU students built a boat and an autonomous system for navigation and control. The students conducted pool trials and ocean testing with the Coast Guard and a local yacht club.

The Rice University UASV was launched from a Coast Guard boat near Galveston, Texas, to test and demonstrate detection using existing sensors. In the demonstration, a unique camera system called WAV, which is used by the Navy and Coast Guard in San Diego, and led to the eventual discovery of the UASVs, was used to detect them.

“For the testing, we installed a GPS tracking unit on the microvessel so we could get truth data on our system’s positioning and tracking,” said Rachel Rivera, a solutions architect with ISA. “We recorded all of the data, and used the camera archive to replay the data and improve our detection and tracking algorithms. This will enable us to make a more specific detection analysis for refined tracking.”

According to Fritz Kuebler, Rice University’s Office of Research NSIN program director, the Rice student team designed and constructed the model to test existing systems leading to enhanced capabilities and also providing a roadmap for others to replicate similar platforms to routinely test sensor systems as part of their “Unmanned Micro – Vessel Mechanical / Electrical Engineering Capstone” course.

“The students fabricated the UASV with readily available materials and at a cost of less than $800 (about €734),” WAV is a unique long-range video surveillance solution that Kuebler said. The project involved extensive research, design can function as both a wide-angle and zoom camera at the same time, and is for homeland security applications and and testing by the student team with regular interaction other situations that require persistent visual-domain aware- from the project sponsor.” ness of very wide areas. WAV was designed by and developed

by Innovative Signal Analysis Inc., of Richardson, Texas, and “Sector San Diego is the project sponsor and has been intimately involved since the inception of this project.” said has both commercial and military applications.

Kuebler. “Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston has also “The WAV surveillance system can detect low probability of inter- been an ardent supporter of this project and provided assets cept (LPI) targets because it can survey a 90-degrees field of to assist with the testing including deploying and recovering view at high resolution with a higher refresh rate than standard the UASV on the testing days, and coordinated participation point-to-zoom cameras,” said Jonathan Ray of Innovative Signal with local maritime security stakeholders,” said Kuebler.

Analysis (ISA) of Richardson, Texas, the company that makes WAV. “We take advantage of these components in our algo- In these NSIN projects, the student prototypes have rithms to build a history of detects of the object to improve continued to be useful in testing and exercises to detect location accuracy and object detection confidence.” small maritime targets.

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