Teledyne RDI Instruments Holds AiA Conference on Coronado
Teledyne RDI Instruments held its 9th ADCPs in Action Users’ Conference on Coronado from 29 September to 3 October 2013 in San Diego, California, USA. With a mix of social events, presentations, demos and workshops, users of Teledyne ADCPs from all over the globe were able to renew and refresh their knowledge on techniques, talk to Teledyne employees and socialise or do business with other users.
By Durk Haarsma, publishing director.
Many of the delegates had done their share of networking on Sunday already, with fun activities such as 'Surfing for Beginners' at Mission Beach and 'Sea Kayaking' in the La Jolla Caves, ending the day with a relaxed 'Ice Breaker' reception by the pool of the Marriott.
The conference started officially with a plenary session on Monday morning, including an update on the status of the business of the Teledyne Group at large – showing immense growth - and a look to the future.
The plenary session thereafter broke in three tracks: Marine Measurements, Navigation, and Water Resources, with ample opportunity to see presentations from all over the globe, where ADCPs were put in operation. The training sessions in the separate tracks started with basic theory on ADCPs, but stretched further in depth with a look at the Woods Hole ADCP in training sessions under the name 'The Final Frontier in the Marine Measurement'. In the Navigation track, trainer Greg Rivalan talked about integration considerations in ROVs and AUVs.
The small trade show, where several partners of Teledyne RDI Instruments like VideoRay, Liquid Robotics and Bluefin Robotics and other groups of Teledyne showcased their solutions, was a popular hangout during coffee breaks and breakfasts. Dockside demos of remotely operated ADCP platforms, carried out by partners like HR Wallingford, OceanScience, Deep Ocean Engineering, were an extra incentive to enjoy the good weather of San Diego and learn something at the water's edge at the same time. The week ended with a tour for delegates through the Teledyne facilities in Poway, CA.
The conference moved this year to the beautifully located Marriott Coronado Island Resort, leaving behind the good old Catamaran Hotel, also in San Diego, because it was being renovated.
