Unmanned Systems

Focus: Unmanned Systems

Unmanned Systems 2017 200 Every month we will focus on a specific theme, featuring a selection of articles which have previously been published in Hydro International magazine. By including a mix of older and more recent articles, we will present a complete recap of the subject. Furthermore, we will be bringing you a bi-weekly round-up of ‘Focus Stories’ related to the theme through our newsletter (sign up here). The theme for July 2017 is:

Hydrography uses them in various ways that we assume to be familiar: Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), ROVs, Maritime Autonomous Systems (MAS), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). They serve many applications – the choice of articles may be of inspiration for yours!

You can also read the 2016 Unmanned Systems Special magazine.

Must Read

AUVs in Hydrography

The US Navy and the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) are committed to realising the vision that Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are available, affordable, and can play a critical role for many applications. Working in partnership with NAVOCEANO and the Office of... (read more)

Mapping the Floor of Upper Loch Linnhe Using AUVs

Due to their particularly shallow and turbulent thermocline, conducting seafloor mapping in lochs, fjords and other estuaries always presents a unique challenge to the hydrographic surveyor. Surface vessels often struggle to obtain accurate measurements due to the highly var... (read more)

About the Focus Stories

Every month we will focus on a specific theme, featuring a selection of articles which have previously been published in Hydro International magazine. to present a complete recap of the subject. If you don't want to miss these themed recaps, sign up for the newsletter (sign up here).

Unmanned Systems

Coastal Monitoring of Water Quality

The wave-propelled AutoNaut unmanned surface vessel (USV) completed a short trial off the south-west coast of England to monitor the water quality by a sewage outfall. AutoNaut demonstrated its ability to reliably operate in shallow waters whilst also recording and transmitt... (read more)

Much More Than a Typical Hydrographic Office

In October 2015, Capt Brian D. Connon assumed the role of director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Maritime Safety Office. The organisation is an important, although not always visible, link in the global maritime safety chain. Its work contr... (read more)

Snow Crab Tracking Using Wave Gliders

Coastal communities around the globe are seeking better ways to understand and manage regional ecosystems. They depend on the ocean to sustain economic opportunities, ensure food security and safeguard fragile environments and species. For harvesters, scientists and governme... (read more)

Oceans of Earthquakes

Globally, the proliferation of sensors and resultant explosion of data is growing at exponential rates. Every digital device and sensor is expected to be available day/night to provide instantaneous results. This is possible if sensors are land or space based. This is not th... (read more)

Can I Communicate with My AUV?

The prospects for an increased future use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in the Maritime & Offshore sector are high, mainly due to the search for cost effectiveness. AUVs reduce the need for large crews, divers and vessels in the operational area. AUVs are alre... (read more)

Discovering H.M.S. Ark Royal

In November 1941 the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ark Royal was returning from Malta, when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat southeast of Gibraltar. Its destruction was a devastating blow to the Royal Navy's power in the Mediterranean theatre of war and to the morale o... (read more)

Bering Sea ASV Force Multiplier

TerraSond, a hydrographic services company based in Palmer, Alaska (USA), used a C-Worker 5 (CW5) unmanned autonomous surface vessel (ASV) in conjunction with a 105’ (32m) research vessel from June through August 2016 on a major hydrographic survey in the Bering Sea re... (read more)

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

This last year has seen an increase in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) sales and prospects for new sales. The lower than usual oil price may be responsible for much of that growth. Faced with operating in an increasingly harsh market where cost efficiencies can be the di... (read more)

Unmanned Systems

USVs Developing into Versatile Tools

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are gaining terrain in hydrographic surveying. They combine the advantages of small survey vessels with those of unmanned survey platforms, giving them a range of applications that is likely to expand even more. They enable hydrographic... (read more)

Autonomous Vessel as Enforcer

There are currently 13,764 Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) jointly covering over 2% of the oceans. One such MPA is Malaysia’s newly formed Tun Mustapha Park comprising 1 million hectares of marine park and shark sanctuary in northern Borneo. Governance, management, effe... (read more)

Furthering Ocean Science Using Innovative Marine Robotics

Robotics and autonomous systems are championed as one of the UK government’s ‘Eight Great Technologies’. The National Oceanography Centre is committed to maximising this technology to further ocean science and has purchased a fleet of innovative autonomous... (read more)

Lessons Learned From the AF447 Search

It was a rainy day at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. The scenery reminds me of the Twin Peaks atmosphere. I am about to interview Mike Purcell, the man whose search team finally found the wreckage of flight AF447 in the deep ocean in 2011. Only five years after this tragedy... (read more)

Unmanned Mapping of Ultra-shallow Waters

Hydrographic surveying in ultra-shallow, inland and enclosed waters can prove extremely challenging and often presents increased risks and obstacles to both personnel and equipment. These considerations include health and safety issues, potential damage to equipment, lack of... (read more)

“We Are Limited by Imagination Rather Than Technology”

Now that the spotlights are on unmanned vehicles for various tasks in subsea survey, inspection and maintenance, it’s interesting to see how two businesses are looking at the technology. In 2016, Kongsberg and the start-up Eelume started their cooperation to develop an... (read more)

Underwater Wireless Video Communication

This article presents the development, production and testing of wireless underwater acoustic video communications, which is unique in the world today. It also discusses the implementation of this technique on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s) to perform inspectio... (read more)

USBL in Dam Survey by ROV

An USBL underwater positioning system is the ideal solution for dam survey by ROV, providing easy and fast set-up and accurate 3D measurement for traceability, but not all USBL systems can meet the demands of this environment. PLSM (France) has developed a light and polyvale... (read more)

SEAEXPLORER Underwater Glider

Find more information on:

Join Hydro International!

Follow Hydro International on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or sign up for the newsletter! Don't miss the latest developments: join Hydro International!


12.364 SUBSCRIBERS	5.394 MEMBERS	4.699 LIKES	4.118 FOLLOWERS