Succesful REMUS/HUGIN AUV Users Conference
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) users from around the globe came together for the first REMUS/HUGIN AUV Users Conference 4th to 8th October at the Catamaran Resort & Spa in San Diego, USA. The conference, presented by Kongsberg Maritime, its subsidiary, Hydroid, Inc. and Kongsberg Underwater Technology, Inc. (KUTI), was designed to give customers the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences and get more out of their AUVs.
Nearly one hundred REMUS and HUGIN AUV users from nine countries participated in the event, which included informational presentations, hands-on exercises and updates on products and new trends in the market, followed by question and answer periods and networking sessions.
This conference was about giving our customers what they've been asking for, according to Christopher von Alt, president and one of the co-founders of Hydroid, which manufactures supports and develops the REMUS AUV technology. "Customer satisfaction is Hydroid's top priority, so we felt it was important to bring our clients together, to facilitate the sharing of new ideas and to enhance the collective knowledge of the worldwide AUV community."
Conference presentations focused on a variety of topics, including the role of AUVs in the 2009 search for Amelia Earheart's plane and emerging AUV applications such as pipeline inspection and environmental monitoring.
"It was incredibly helpful to hear how other companies and navies are putting their vehicles to work," said Michael Dessner, Director of Operations for The Waitt Institute, located in La Jolla, USA. "We're hoping to use that knowledge to get the most out of our AUVs during future search expeditions, whether for ancient shipwrecks or downed planes."
"User feedback about the conference has been overwhelmingly positive," said Bjorn Jalving, vice president of AUVs for Kongsberg Maritime, which manufactures HUGIN AUVs for commercial and naval operations. "Attendees seemed to truly appreciate the opportunity to share information and experiences with fellow AUV customers and the manufacturers. This is all about getting feedback from our customers and helping them get the most out of our products."
The success of the Conference has inspired organisers to plan a second event, tentatively scheduled for 2012. Conference sponsors included EdgeTech, BlueView Technologies, SubChem Systems and Marine Sonic Technology.
