“HamiltonJet and Sea Machines have developed a concept that utilizes on-board autonomy with enhanced situational awareness (through cameras, radar, AIS, GPS, etc.) in a way that is highly desirable in many manned applications. But we knew it had to be well integrated at the helm and easy for mariners to use. The skipper experience is foundational to our products, so we saw that by partnering, we could deliver a HamiltonJet-branded solution that feels like a native part of our controls,” said HamiltonJet’s Ben Reed, managing director. “We work with a variety of autonomy providers around the world, but we feel Sea Machines is the best partner for this product due to their commercial focus and rapidly expanding technical capabilities.”

“Sea Machines is pleased to again partner with HamiltonJet, the leader in water-jet propulsion systems for workboats and utility craft,” said Sea Machines’ CEO Michael G. Johnson. “We are joining forces to marry proven autonomous-command and situational-awareness technologies with front-running waterjet propulsion systems and vessel controls to ultimately enhance and modernize the pilot experience. Like other disruptive technologies, it won’t be too long before this becomes standard and we wonder how we lived without. We look forward to delivering it to market and elevating the total industry as a result alongside HamiltonJet.”

Currently under development, this innovative pilot-assist product is slated to be operational in 2022. In the near future it will be fully embedded in HamiltonJet’s Advanced Vessel Control (AVX) program.

In 2019, Sea Machines and HamiltonJet successfully commissioned an SM300 autonomous control system aboard a HamiltonJet-powered workboat in New Zealand. HamiltonJet continues to trial this marine technology and provides on-demand customer demonstrations in the Southern Hemisphere.

HamiltonJet’s commercial customers primarily operate in the marine security, survey, search and rescue, firefighting, ferry, aquaculture and pilot boat sectors, which are all ideal candidates for Sea Machines technology.

About Sea Machines
Headquartered in the global tech hub of Boston and operating globally, Sea Machines is the leader in pioneering autonomous command and control and advanced perception systems for the marine industries. Founded in 2015, the company builds autonomous vessel software and systems, which increases the safety, efficiency and performance of ships, workboats and commercial passenger vessels. Learn more about Sea Machines at www.sea-machines.com.

About HamiltonJet
HamiltonJet is the leading designer and manufacturer of water-jet propulsion systems. More than 70 years of history, a single product focus, unmatched investment in research and development, and an unfailing attention to quality, has resulted in HamiltonJet being the largest global supplier of water-jets and controls systems. Our product range of 18 jet models extends from the mechanically controlled HJ212 absorbing 313hp, all the way through to the electronically controlled HT1000, capable of absorbing 7500hp. Being at the forefront of propulsion technology, our control systems provide solutions for every requirement, and for the last fifteen years, HamiltonJet has been the leading integrator of water-jets and controls into autonomous and unmanned vessels. Water-jets is in our DNA, Creation, Innovation and Evolution. www.hamiltonjet.com

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Damen Shipyards Group has been investing in autonomous shipping technologies, and this agreement signals the “next phase” by establishing a strategic alliance with the Boston-based company, an alliance that aims at speeding up the adoption of several navigating technologies to increase autonomy levels on Damen-built vessels.

In an exclusive interview with Maritime Reporter TV (video below) in advance of the announcement, Toine Cleophas, manager programs at Damen said:

“Damen started looking into autonomous sailing, because more and more clients were coming to us, asking for functions related to higher autonomy levels. Our eyes were on Sea Machines because their readiness level is, in my opinion, very high.”

Watch the full video interview, with Cleophas and Sea Machines’ Frank Relou, European business development manager, here:

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Click here to access this Riviera Maritime Media read, which outlines five of the best new technologies and innovations available that can support the salvage sector as it tackles ever-more complex projects with larger ships to protect mariners, assets and the environment.

The post Riviera: Five Technologies to Transform Salvage appeared first on Sea Machines Robotics.

LISTEN ON-DEMAND HERE:

SHOW NOTES:

Based in Boston, Sea Machines specializes in advanced control technology for workboats and other commercial surface vessels. CEO Michael Johnston joined us to discuss which industries are currently using this technology … and what could be possible in the future.

The post Blue Economy Podcast: The Future of Autonomous Ships appeared first on Sea Machines Robotics.

In this Sea Machines webinar, First Harvest Navigation’s President Bob Kunkel and Technical Director Micah Tucker, along with our company’s Director of Business Development Phil Bourque discuss the benefits of and considerations for autonomous-command and wireless remote-helm control systems aboard commercial vessels. A Q&A session concludes the webinar.

The post Sea Machines Webinar Series: Autonomous Cargo Vessels appeared first on Sea Machines Robotics.

According to a USCG press release, the purpose of the testing was to examine “the operational utility of the [unmanned surface vessel] USV, including feasibility, costs and benefits. While potentially applicable to many Coast Guard missions, there is potential these technologies will help enable the Coast Guard to better protect critical natural living marine resources from Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated [IUU] fishing and other illicit activities.”

Whereas the other two USV systems in the demonstration were contractor-owned and -operated, the RDC purchased the Sharktech 29’ Defiant vessel in an effort to learn more about autonomous command and remote control, USV maintenance and current constraints through hands-on operations with actual Coast Guard operators. The welded-aluminum monohull pilothouse vessel arrived in Hawaii prior to the event equipped with the Sea Machines SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control system.

RDC crew boarded the vessel and operated Sea Machines’ SM300 autonomous-command system in real time on the water. Planned exercises included transit and grid autonomy missions, as well as an observance of the system’s obstacle detection and collision avoidance feature. Operators saw how Sea Machines executes with human-like behavior, intelligently factoring in environmental and sea conditions, and the system’s ability to autonomously change speeds between waypoints. Especially important to the USCG, Sea Machines enables optionally manned or autonomous-assist (reduced crew) modes that can reduce mission delays and maximize effort — a critical feature for time-sensitive operations, such as on-water search-and-rescues or other urgent missions.

USCG operators also donned Sea Machines’ wireless beltpack and remote-commanded the autonomous vessel from both inside the wheelhouse and from the shore. This exercise also allowed the test crew to use the beltpack controls to engage on-board payloads, including vessel sensors and other equipment. Sea Machines’ commercial wireless helm control system can be operated from a distance of one kilometer.

Sea Machines’ Chris Spagna, marine controls engineer (shown above), supported the demonstrations on-site. In observance of the event, he said: “We introduced a lot of new users to the SM300 during the demo week. It was rewarding and fun to watch their reactions to driving a boat via remote control or from their office.”

While Sea Machines has bid aloha to Hawaii, it’s clear that our work with the USCG will continue. Following the event, the Sharktech autonomous vessel was returned to the RDC’s New London facility for additional testing. The RDC will soon publish a report with recommendations for potential future actions for the Coast Guard.

Sea Machines appreciates the opportunity to participate in this important demonstration.

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[dt_highlight color=”” text_color=”” bg_color=””][/dt_highlight]Remote command stations explained

Remote command stations are workspaces equipped with several connected monitors and a reliable network connection, as shown above. From a shoreside location or a second vessel, operators can remotely command and control autonomous vessels with full situational awareness, thanks to live cameras and real-time data from AIS, GPS, radar and other equipment.

In this technology update, Sea Machines explains how remote command stations are solving some of the most persistent challenges on the water.

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CHALLENGE 1: Limited visibility into vessel operations from shore

SOLUTION: 24/7 Remote vessel monitoring

Remote command stations enable operators to monitor the operations and progress of working autonomous vessels in real time, anywhere there is a network connection. This “on-watch redundancy” can help to prevent operational incidents and keep crews safer. From these stations, human operators can command fleets of minimally manned or unmanned vessels with greater efficiency and reduced operational cost.

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CHALLENGE 2: Human exposure to toxins and challenging sea states

SOLUTION: Minimally manned or unmanned operations

Especially important in hazardous, toxic or dangerous work environments, remote-helm control increases safety by eliminating or reducing the need for humans to be on board vessels. Crew can be relocated to safer remote workstations to support on-water missions. Minimally manned and unmanned autonomous vessels can also reduce the resources required, helping to limit operational costs.

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CHALLENGE 3: Time-consuming and dangerous at-sea shift changes

SOLUTION: Remote crews require fewer stop-work periods

Remotely operated, reduced-crew vessels do not require as many operational interruptions for shift changes and breaks. This is especially important in poor sea and weather conditions, and through periods of low light or visibility. From a safer remote location, crews can drastically increase production and, in some cases, continue missions 24/7.

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CHALLENGE 4: Highly manual operations

SOLUTION: Technology that automates operations

Sea Machines systems automate tedious, redundant and dangerous tasks, and allow crew to focus on higher-level operations. From remote command stations, operators can program vessels to autonomously deploy routes and workboats can be commanded to follow paths in unmanned or reduced-crew modes. Automated obstacle detection and collision avoidance capabilities reduce risk further.

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[dt_highlight color=”” text_color=”” bg_color=””][/dt_highlight]Contact Us

For operators workboats and other commercial vessels, Sea Machines autonomous-command and remote-control systems are available now. There’s no need to build new vessels. The Sea Machines SM300 or SM200 can be added to workboats as a retrofit or as part of new-build specifications. In most cases, customers see return on investment realized within a year.

If you’re ready to increase your fleet’s capability, predictability and productivity, while simultaneously reducing your at-sea risk and operational costs, contact Sea Machines via the form below.

The post Understanding the Value of Remote Command Stations for Autonomous Vessels appeared first on Sea Machines Robotics.

This latest close includes follow-on investments by the Brunswick Corporation and their investment partner TechNexus, Toyota AI Ventures and NextGen Venture Partners. Sea Machines also welcomes a new investor, Dolby Family Ventures of San Francisco.

“We set the goals for this round in March and with this now accomplished we find ourselves in a great position to focus on execution and scaling by growing our team, expanding our product sales and furthering our advanced technology,” said CEO Michael G. Johnson, Sea Machines. “Market adoption of our autonomous and remote command products is well underway and over the next year we will be delivering new cutting-edge technical features, including computer vision for domain sensing and advancements in decision support.”

Sea Machines’ autonomous systems serve the modern mariner. They markedly increase productivity of vessel operations by assuming active domain perception and navigation duties. A Sea Machines’ system works under the command of a human operator and – by taking on the long duration and often repetitive control duties – it boosts the predictability and precision of operations while lowering the risk of fatigue-related incidents. The technology also enables new capabilities on water, such as the onshore command of remote offshore vessels.

About Sea Machines
Headquartered in the global tech hub of Boston and operating globally, Sea Machines is the leader in pioneering autonomous control and advanced perception systems for the marine industries. Founded in 2015, the company builds autonomous vessel software and systems, which increases the safety, efficiency and performance of ships, workboats and other commercial vessels. Learn more about Sea Machines at www.sea-machines.com.

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The ability to add automation to an existing marine vessel to make it autonomous is here today and is being proven by a Boston company. Sea Machines builds autonomous vessel software and systems for the marine industry. Founded in 2015, the company recently raised $15 million in a Series B round, making it total raised $27.5 million since 2017.

Founder and CEO Michael G. Johnson, a licensed marine engineer, recently took the time to answer via email some questions AI Trends poses to selected startups.

Describe your team, the key people

Sea Machines is led by a team of mariners, engineers, coders and autonomy scientists. The company today has a crew of 30 people based in Boston; Hamburg, Germany; and Esbjerg, Denmark. Sea Machines is also hiring for a variety of positions, which can be viewed at sea-machines.com/careers.

What business problem are you trying to solve?

The global maritime industry is responsible for billions in economic output and is a major driver of jobs and commerce. Despite the sector’s success and endurance, it faces significant challenges that can negatively impact operator safety, performance and profitability. Sea Machines is solving many of these challenges by developing technologies that are helping the marine industry transition into a new era of task-driven, computer-guided vessel operations.

How does your solution address the problem?

Autonomous systems solve for these challenges in several ways:

Autonomous grid and waypoint following capabilities relieve mariners from manually executing planned routes. Today’s autonomous systems uniquely execute with human-like behavior, intelligently factoring in environmental and sea conditions (including wave height, pitch, heave and roll); change speeds between waypoints; and actively detect obstacles for collision avoidance purposes.
Autonomous marine systems also enable optionally manned or autonomous-assist (reduced crew) modes that can reduce mission delays and maximize effort. This is an important feature for anyone performing time-sensitive operations, such as on-water search-and-rescues or other urgent missions.

Autonomous marine systems offer obstacle detection and collision avoidance capabilities that keep people and assets safe and out of harm’s way. These advanced technologies are much more reliable and accurate than the human eye, especially in times of low light or in poor sea conditions.

Because today’s systems enable remote-helm control and remote payload management, there is a reduced need for mariners (such as marine fire or spill response crews) to physically man a vessel in a dangerous environment. A remote-helm control beltpack also improves visibility by enabling mariners to step outside of the wheelhouse to whatever location provides the best vantage point when performing tight maneuvers, dockings and other precision operations.

Autonomous marine systems enable situational awareness with multiple cameras and sensors streaming live over a 4G connection. This real-time data allows shoreside or at-sea operators a full view of an autonomous vessel’s environment, threats and opportunities.

Minimally manned vessels can autonomously collaborate to cover more ground with less resources required, creating a force-multiplier effect. A single shoreside operator can command multiple autonomous boats with full situational awareness.

These areas of value overlap for all sectors but for the government and military sector, new on-water capabilities and unmanned vessels are a leading driver. By contrast, the commercial sector is looking for increased productivity, efficiency, and predictable operations. Our systems meet all of these needs. Our technology is designed to be installed on new vessels as well as existing vessels. Sea Machines’ ability to upgrade existing fleets greatly reduces the time and cost to leverage the value of our autonomous systems.

How are you getting to the market? Is there competition?

Sea Machines has an established dealer program to support the company’s global sales across key commercial marine markets. The program includes many strategic partners who are enabled to sell, install and service the company’s line of intelligent command and control systems for workboats. To date, Sea Machines dealers are located across the US and Canada, in Europe, in Singapore and UAE. We have competition for autonomous marine systems, but our products are the only ones that are retrofit ready, not requiring new vessels to be built.

Do you have any users or customers?

Yes we have achieved significant sales traction since launching our SM series of products in 2018. Just since the summer, Sea Machines has been awarded several significant contracts and partnerships:

The first allowed us to begin serving the survey vessel market with the first announced collaboration with DEEP BV in the Netherlands. DEEP’s vessel outfitted with the SM300 entered survey service very recently.
Next, we partnered with Castine-based Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and representatives of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD)’s Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program to bring valuable, hands-on education about autonomous marine systems into the MMA curriculum.

Then we recently announced a partnership with shipbuilder Metal Shark Boats, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, to supply the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)’s Research and Development Center (RDC) with a new Sharktech 29 Defiant vessel for the purposes of testing and evaluating the capabilities of available autonomous vessel technology. USCG demonstrations are happening now (through November 5) off the coast of Hawaii.

Finally, just this month, we announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded us with a multi-year Other Transaction (OT) agreement. The primary purpose of the agreement is to initiate a prototype that will enable commercial ocean-service barges as autonomous Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) units for an Amphibious Maritime Projection Platform (AMPP). Specifically, Sea Machines will engineer, build and demonstrate ready-to-deploy system kits that enable autonomous, self-propelled operation of opportunistically available barges to land and replenish military aircraft.

In the second half of 2020 we are also commencing onboard collaborations with some crew-transfer vessel (CTV) operators serving the wind farm industry.

How is the company funded?

The company recently completed a successful Series B round, which provided $15M in funds, with a total amount raised of $27.5M since 2017. The most recent funds we were able to raise are going to significantly impact Sea Machines, and therefore the maritime and marine industries as a whole. The funds will be put to use to further strengthen our technical development team as well as build out our next level of systems manufacturing and scale our operations group to support customer deployments. We will also be investing in some supporting technologies to speed our course to full dock-to-dock, over-the-horizon autonomy. The purpose of our technology is to optimize vessel operations with increased performance, productivity, predictability and ultimately safety.

In closing, we’d like to add that the marine industries are a critically significant component of the global economy and it’s up to us to keep it strong and relevant. Along with people, processes and capital, pressing the bounds of technology is a key driver. The world is being revolutionized by intelligent and autonomous self-piloting technology and today we find ourselves just beyond the starting line of a busy road to broad adoption through all marine sectors. If Sea Machines continues to chart the course with forward-looking pertinence, then you will see us rise up to become one of the most significant companies and brands serving the industry in the 21st century.

Any anecdotes/stories?

This month we released software version 1.7 on our SM300. That’s seven significant updates in just over 18 months, each one providing increased technical hardening and new features for specific workboat sectors.

Another interesting story is about our Series B funding, which, due to the pandemic, we raised virtually. Because of where we are as a company, we have been proving our ability to retool the marine industry with our technology, and therefore we are delivering confidence to investors. We were forced to conduct the entire process by video conference, which may have increased overall efficiency of the raise as these rounds traditionally require thousands if not tens of thousands of miles of travel for face-to-face meetings, diligence, and handshakes. Remote pitches also proved to be an advantage because it allowed us to showcase our technology in a more direct way. We did online demos where we had our team remotely connected to our vessels off Boston Harbor. We were able to get the investors into the captain’s chair, as if they were remotely commanding a vessel in real-world operations.

In January, we announced the receipt of ABS and USCG approval for our SM200 wireless helm and control systems on a major class of U.S.-flag articulated tug-barges (ATBs), the first unit has been installed and is in operation, and we look forward to announcing details around it. We will be taking the SM200 forward into the type-approval process.

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Under this OT agreement, Sea Machines will engineer, build and demonstrate ready-to-deploy system kits that enable autonomous, self-propelled operation of opportunistically available barges to land and replenish military aircraft. The kits will include Sea Machines’ SM300 autonomous-command and control systems, barge propulsion, sensing, positioning, communications and refueling equipment, as well as items required for global deployment. Each modular kit will meet U.S. Navy criteria and will be in compliance with classifications and regulations from the DOD’s aviation bodies.

The contract includes a concept demonstration phase, with an option for following phases to deploy SM300 Operational Kits. The live concept demonstration is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020, in Washington state, for which Sea Machines has teamed with FOSS Maritime, a leading maritime transportation and logistics provider based in Seattle. FOSS will provide naval architecture, support engineering and operations management to outfit a remotely commanded deck barge to land helicopters and host a scaled fueling station for aircraft, surface vessels and shore replenishment. Using the SM300, shoreside operators will have remote situational awareness and will be able to demonstrate the capabilities of remote command and control of the vessel, her operating systems and flight deck.

Sea Machines is the prime contractor for the multi-year contract and is working closely alongside FOSS Maritime and other significant industry leaders, including Huntington Ingalls, America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services, based in Newport News, Va., and Bell Flight, a producer of commercial and military, vertical-lift aircraft, based in Fort Worth, Texas, to ensure a successful demonstration.

“The AMPP autonomous replenishment systems will solve critical logistics challenges of expeditionary missions. We are pleased to enable this innovative capability, which will increase the effectiveness and flexibility for the U.S. military,” said Sea Machines’ Phil Bourque, director, sales. “With Sea Machines systems already working off the waters of four continents, this project is well suited for us and one that we look forward to delivering on for the U.S. Government.”

“Foss is excited about this new opportunity with Sea Machines. This contract has led to discussions with Sea Machines in a number of other areas where their expertise can help Foss, including bringing more technology to our tug fleet. What they are doing in automation is very interesting and that technology could help our mariners and our vessels safety,” said Foss’ Will Roberts, chief operating officer.

DIU’s work is part of the DOD’s Resilient Expeditionary Agile Littoral Logistics (REALL) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) project. Funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Research & Engineering, the JCTD Program addresses Combatant Command (CCMD) and Joint warfighting gaps through prototyping and demonstration of innovative and game-changing technologies. The following offices are involved with defining performance requirements and developing capabilities for REALL: U.S. Central Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the Naval Aviation Warfare Center – Lakehurst.

About Sea Machines
Headquartered in the global tech hub of Boston and operating globally, Sea Machines is the leader in pioneering autonomous command and control and advanced perception systems for the marine industries. Founded in 2015, the company builds autonomous vessel software and systems, which increases the safety, efficiency and performance of ships, workboats and commercial passenger vessels. Learn more about Sea Machines at www.sea-machines.com.

About FOSS Maritime
Foss is a full-service maritime company focused on solving customers’ toughest marine transportation and logistical challenges—close to home and in some of the harshest environments in the world. Along with its subsidiaries and sister companies we have the expertise to support any industry requiring marine transportation services, project management or logistics, helping to handle all of the details from one-time ship assist jobs in local harbors to major multi-year projects across the globe.

About Huntington Ingalls
Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services, and fleet sustainment. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.

About Bell Flight
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc. Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

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The RDC helps transition innovative technologies and provides premier analysis and decision support to enhance operational performance across all Coast Guard missions. During demonstrations scheduled for October off the coast of Hawaii, the RDC team will test and evaluate the Sharktech vessel’s autonomous capabilities for their potential in supporting USCG surveillance, interdiction, patrol and other missions. Following the Hawaii demonstrations, the autonomous vessel will be returned to the RDC’s New London facility, where it will be used in additional testing to investigate application to various Coast Guard missions.

“As the premier USCG facility performing research, development, test and evaluation in support of the service’s major missions, the RDC team is eager to observe Sea Machines’ system in action,” said USCG’s Derek Meier, assistant demonstration director. “The exercises will ultimately help us determine how, when, and if this innovative technology can be used to support personnel who are executing a variety of Coast Guard activities.”

“Sea Machines is proud to actively support government agencies across a variety of projects and to expand that support to the Department of Homeland Security with this important demonstration being conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Sea Machines’ Phil Bourque, director, sales. “Our systems are being rapidly adopted by government and commercial operators alike, offering increases in on-water productivity and predictability, while reducing operational risk.”

“Since the launch of our Sharktech Autonomous Vessels division in 2018 we have been working to position Metal Shark for the autonomy revolution,” said Metal Shark’s CEO Chris Allard. “We are committed to the advancement of autonomous technology, through our relationships with leading autonomy suppliers as well as through our own R&D, and we are engaged with multiple customers, from the USCG, the Department of Defense and commercial operators. With this latest delivery, Metal Shark is proud to play a role in the Coast Guard’s autonomous technology R&D efforts.”

In 2019, Sea Machines partnered with Metal Shark to make available the Sharktech 29 Defiant vessel to commercial markets, under Metal Shark’s stock boat program. Most recently, in July, Sea Machines partnered with Huntington Ingalls Industries to accelerate the deployment of self-piloting technologies in the rising market of unmanned naval boats and ships.

About Sea Machines
Headquartered in the global tech hub of Boston and operating globally, Sea Machines is the leader in pioneering autonomous control and advanced perception systems for the marine industries. Founded in 2015, the company builds autonomous vessel software and systems, which increases the safety, efficiency and performance of ships, workboats and commercial vessels. Learn more about Sea Machines at www.sea-machines.com.

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Owners and operators of such response vessels to consider the benefits of installing intelligent marine technology aboard their fleets to mitigate these challenges. Our autonomous-command and remote-helm control systems can be retrofitted aboard existing vessels to reduce risk on the water, while increasing operational productivity, predictability and efficiency.

Sea Machines Solutions

Installing our systems aboard response workboats enables:

• Faster, more responsive missions

• Safer mission execution using remote-helm and on-shore operation

• Force multiplier effect using collaborative autonomy

• Reduced risk with obstacle detection and collision avoidance

Autonomy for Repetitive, Predictable Patterns

Watch to learn how Sea Machines takes over execution of repetitive, predictable vessel routes, allowing on-board crew to focus on higher level tasks.

Remote-Helm Control for Safety & Operational Flexibility

Watch to learn how remote-helm control can remove crew from hazardous situations and enables operational flexibility.

Contact Us to Learn More

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Sea Machines is a Smart Training Tool

A Sea Machines autonomous-command and remote-helm control vessel

In addition to providing students with hands-on training about the latest advanced vessel technology, choosing Sea Machines’ autonomous-command and remote-helm systems will give your students the chance to learn about the new, non-traditional roles that autonomy and remote systems are ushering in – many of which bring greater safety and higher-level tasks to the workforce. It can also make your academy more competitive and better prepare students for long-term careers.

How to Leverage Our Tech in the Classroom

An example shoreside control center

• Sea Machines will provide an SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control system for your school’s training vessel.
• Once your vessel has been upgraded as a human-in-the-loop autonomous vessel, faculty and students can safely operate it from anywhere on board or from a second location (such as another vessel or shoreside control station), using either a computer or a remote-control joystick. It is recommended that a shoreside control center equipped with several connected monitors be established, as shown above, for optimal learning. 
• During on-water operations, the SM300 will stream live data from AIS; GPS; radar; and on-board cameras, sensors and other equipment directly to the operator for real-time situational awareness. This feature can help to reduce the number of mariners required on board, as students and teachers will be able to command and monitor vessel operations from shore. Always on watch, the SM300’s obstacle detection and collision avoidance features are included. 

Sea Machines is Classroom-Ready Today

An MMA student commands an SM300-enabled autonomous vessel.

Sea Machines recently commenced a partnership with Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) to introduce autonomous vessel operations to the school’s classroom, fleet and labs.

“We call it smart vessel technology,” says MMA’s Capt. Jennifer Norwood (shown). “Providing our students the opportunity to gain and learn from the technology is in line with MMA’s mission to provide the best marine-related education of any small college.”

Read more about our partnership with MMA here and here.

To learn more about our how we support maritime academies or how our system works, submit the form below.

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GCaptain published an article highlighting the huge growth the autonomous marine technology market is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. Key points include:

• While the maritime world struggles with COVID-19, one industry segment continues to grow at a rapid pace: Marine Autonomy. With companies like the MIT startup, Blksail completing autonomous trials remotely, autonomous inland shipping companies like ZULU Associates preparing to enter the New York market, and larger scaleups like Sea Machines closing large strategic investment deals, the rapid growth of autonomous solution providers is impressive.

• The U.S. Navy and the NOAA has also made rapid progress in vessel autonomy by signing a new agreement to jointly expand the development and operations of unmanned maritime systems in the nation’s coastal and world’s ocean waters.

• One reason for the growth in autonomous solutions is a large number of mariners unable to sign off ships because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. While smarter ships might help with these problems, many of the deals we are seeing today are not positioned to replace commercial mariners.

In summary, the article states: It is unclear how the broader industry will perform in the post-coronavirus world but it is clear that marine autonomy will play a large and critically important role.

Read the full story here.

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