Amsterdam-based survey company Deep B.V. recently upgraded vessel operations with a Sea Machines Robotics autonomous command and remote-helm control system installed aboard its Loeve hydrographic survey vessel, which is now operating autonomously in multiple areas of the challenging Wadden Sea.

With no surveyors on board the vessel for this project, Deep operators are commanding and controlling the autonomous vessel and all on-board payloads (including survey sonars, hydrophones, winches, cranes and davits) from Deep’s shoreside Survey Control Room, which can facilitate several multi-beam surveys simultaneously. Deep is transferring all collected data from the vessel to the control room via 4G and satellite connection. The combination of Sea Machines’ technology and the Survey Control Room will enable Deep to transition from minimally manned missions to unmanned missions in the near future.

In this free webinar, Deep’s CEO Jurgen Beerens and Sea Machines’ Frank Relou, European business development manager, will discuss the benefits of and considerations for autonomous-command and wireless remote-helm control systems aboard survey vessels. A live Q&A session will follow.

Webinar registration is no longer available. Click here to view the archived webinar.

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(HOUSTON; January 25, 2021) – DEA Marine Services, a division of David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA), in Vancouver, Wash., is leveraging a Sea Machines Robotics SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control system to fulfill a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contract that is now surveying more than 3,500 nautical miles of the Western Galveston Bay, near the Houston Ship Channel. The SM300 has been installed aboard the DEA survey boat Sigsbee, which is serving as an autonomous daughter craft for the project. Sigsbee is effectively doubling coverage by operating without an onboard crew, while collaboratively following another DEA-staffed hydrographic survey vessel, which serves as the mothership. The goal is to cover the Bay’s large and shallow survey areas more efficiently than traditional, crewed survey vessel operations. DEA operators located aboard the mothership are commanding the autonomous Sigsbee as it conducts survey missions seven days per week, effectively doubling the conventional productivity of this type of survey.

A view from the bridge of the mothership: An on-board operator commands and controls daughter craft Sigsbee (shown) using the Sea Machines SM300 as it autonomously surveys 3,500 miles of the Western Galveston Bay. Photo credit: DEA

Sea Machines’ technology and DEA’s technical advancements enhance the value of vessel operations by:

• Increasing productivity with collaborative autonomy for force-multiplication;
• Shifting recurring and repetitive operations from manual to autonomous, which enables personnel to focus on higher-level tasks;
• Interfacing autonomous navigation systems with survey software, including Hypack, enabling direct communication and optimizing the combined capabilities of both platforms;
• Improving vessel-tracking precision over planned lines to reduce cross-track error and excessive data overlap.

“Deploying the SM300 system for this mission is allowing DEA to conduct marine surveys with improved predictability, speed of data collection and at-sea safety,” said Sea Machines’ Phil Bourque, director, sales. “The integration with systems like Hypack are streamlining operations for surveyors and demonstrating our commitment to being a best-in-class technology provider. Sea Machines is pleased to to support DEA and NOAA during this critical mission and others like it in the future.”

“DEA is committed to the advancement of technology and being on the leading edge,” said DEA Marine Services’ Jon Dasler, PE, PLS, CH; senior vice president and director. “We see autonomy as the future of hydrography and have enjoyed working with Sea Machines and additional software vendors for continued improvements in autonomous operations and the use of artificial intelligence in data processing.”

In May 2020, Sea Machines announced that Deep BV, of the Netherlands, would upgrade operations with the SM300 to conduct unmanned hydrographic surveys. Deep’s vessel, operating in multiple areas of the Wadden Sea, has been regularly commanded and controlled by personnel situated in the Amsterdam office.

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 passenger vessels. Learn more about Sea Machines at www.sea-machines.com.

About David Evans and Associates, Inc.
David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA) is an employee-owned, multidisciplinary consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Ore. DEA’s Marine Services Division was established in 1989 and is a recognized industry leader in accurate, high-precision hydrographic surveys, marine geophysical surveys, oceanographic monitoring services, and geospatial data analysis for navigational, environmental, engineering, and scientific applications. Learn more about DEA Marine Services at www.deamarine.com.

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Boston-based vessel autonomy startup Sea Machines is making waves with its advanced remote-control and autonomous operation technology. It recently completed a successful Series B venture capital fundraising round with participation from some of the biggest names in the sector, including top naval shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries. Founder and CEO Michael G. Johnson recently discussed how his company is modernizing the commercial marine industry.

Q: Sea Machines announced that it has raised $15 million in funding. Explain the significance of this and what it means for the company and greater maritime community?

The funds we were able to raise in this latest round 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.

Q: Was fundraising much more challenging this time around, considering our pandemic-induced recession? 

On the whole, no. Raising capital is not meant to be easy but it’s safe to say that this round was simpler than previous raises. 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 really able to get the investors into a captain’s chair, as if they were remotely commanding a vessel in real-world operations. That worked out well.

Sea Machines’ remote command station in Boston

Q: Tell us a little about your partnership with Huntington Ingalls (HII), America’s largest shipbuilder. 

We are especially excited to be partnering with Huntington Ingalls in this round. What’s not to love about partnering with the builder of the SS United States, USS Enterprise and so many other amazing ships? HII is a solid and diversified company and as you know the leading capital ship supplier to the U.S. Navy. HII is a top choice partner for a growing marine autonomy company. They are more than a shipbuilder, also now leading in underwater autonomous systems, and they have a technical solutions group comprised of more than 6,000 personnel. The partnership gives us a supporting company to help us better serve U.S. government customers, a first-hand understanding of the technical needs of the U.S. Navy, and access to HII’s strengths in technical areas that are necessary to support autonomous operations, such as cybersecurity and modern HM&E. HII also lives and represents a social conscience that matches with modern society and our commitment to social responsibility.

Q: Sea Machines seems to have developed a strong foothold in the government industry with this announcement. Is that where you see your niche?

The government is an important and critical part of our growth strategy, but it’s just one piece. We also have a heavy emphasis on the task-driven workboat sector – marine survey, spill, fire, search-and-rescue, aquaculture and other boats – as well as the transit-driven maritime and passenger vessel sectors. Our autonomy can be used onboard as an advanced pilot assist system with a crew or provide remote command of a vessel.

Q: Which sectors seem to be the early adopters of marine autonomy?

It’s coming at us quickly.  The defense and task-driven workboat sectors are the first adopters, commercial passenger and shipping are now in the early stage of innovation trials.

The areas of value provided by autonomous technology overlaps for all sectors, however, for the navy, new on-water capabilities and unmanned vessels are a leading driver, whereas commercial 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. Our ability to upgrade existing fleets greatly reduces the time and cost to leverage the value of our autonomous systems.  It definitely speeds up the adoption of the technology.

Sea Machines’ autonomous workboat, Lightning, a 29-foot vessel now being offered through Metal Shark’s “Sharktech” autonomous division

Q: Can you provide us with the latest on your technology development?

This month we are releasing software version 1.6 on our SM300. That’s six significant updates in 18 months, each one providing increased technical hardening and new base features and applicative features for specific workboat sectors. 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.

Sea Machines has also begun serving the survey vessel market with the first announced collaboration with DEEP BV in the Netherlands; the vessel outfitted with the SM300 will be entering survey service within the month. In the second half of 2020 we are also commencing onboard collaborations with some crew-transfer vessel (CTV) operators serving the wind farm industry.

Q: In closing, what does the future look like for Sea Machines and our industry, with your systems on the market?

Being in our fifth year we have a good sense of what the industry needs and where it’s going. Sea Machines systems are already at work off the waters of four continents. Today we install systems on one or two vessels at a time and within a couple years it will be entire customer fleets at a swoop. To meet this demand, we are expanding our teams in Boston and Hamburg. We also recently opened an office in the Esberg, Denmark, to better serve the many forward-looking customers of that region.

The marine industries are a critically significant component of the global economy and it’s up to us within 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.

Top photo: Sea Machines’ A.I.-powered advanced perception system gives commercial vessel operators enhanced situational awareness via obstacle detection, collision avoidance and environment-understanding capabilities for increased safety, predictability and productivity on the water. 

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Experts say that 2019 will be a year of growth for the global offshore energy industry, a prediction already being proven by the uptick in demand for offshore exploration activities over last year. As the market rebounds, operators will prioritize consolidation and innovation to stay ahead. Those who add innovation to their fleets by way of new, advanced technology have the most to gain. Offshore vessel owner/operators who add marine autonomy to their small-to-medium sized offshore workboats can benefit from increased productivity and predictability, while reducing their overall risk and operational costs as they support many types of offshore projects.

Deep Challenges

No matter the mission, those in the offshore marine space face unique challenges when it comes to ensuring projects are completed on time, within budget and safely. Whether providing support for offshore construction, offshore oil and gas, offshore wind farm installations, hydrographic and seismic survey operations, offshore spill response, aquaculture, sub-sea cable inspections, or any other number of offshore projects, the risks of being at sea hundreds of miles from land are the same.

The most common challenges for those in the offshore marine industry include:

• Productivity fluctuations, due to unpredictable factors such as weather;

• High operational costs; and

• Risk of human error related to execution of “dangerous, dull and dirty” work.

Operators facing these challenges today now have the option of mitigating risk by installing Sea Machines autonomous marine technology aboard small-to-medium sized offshore workboats. (In the near future, similar technology will be available for larger workboats and Offshore Support Vessels [OSVs]). Read on to learn more.

Extract Higher Productivity

Smaller offshore support boats, such as daughter craft, tugboats, patrol craft and crew boats are ideal candidates for boosting productivity via autonomous marine technology. Autonomous vessels can work longer hours, even in periods of low-light or poor visibility, with greater precision and predictability. Unmanned support vessels can operate in very poor and harsh weather conditions that might otherwise compromise tasks and put mariners at risk.

Broad coverage areas or long transits to an offshore site from a mainland aboard offshore commercial boats can be executed autonomously, using dynamic waypoint following capabilities. Computers housed on autonomous workboats execute pre-programmed routes and can adjust direction in fractions of a second without human intervention to maximize efficiency. If an unexpected object, such as another vessel or a buoy, appears in the autonomous boat’s path, an on-board computer (powered by cameras and other sensors) will detect it far sooner than the human eye can, and re-route safely around it before resuming an efficient mission.

High-bollard pull tugboats towing out loaded barges also benefit from dynamic waypoint following, and can be programmed to operate in collaborative following modes. Such capabilities allow tugboats in complex formations to maintain an exact course and speed from the point of departure to the offshore project site, eliminating fatigue and increasing operational predictability.

For marine operators conducting offshore survey missions or offshore seismic support operations, autonomous-command and remote-control capabilities aboard fleets allow more data to be gathered with fewer resources and less time. Manned mother ships paired with smaller unmanned daughter craft can collect data at all hours of the day and night, as un-crewed workboats don’t require stops for low-light conditions, breaks or shift changes. Many unmanned vessels programmed to operate collaboratively can create force-multiplication that maximizes coverage and reduces the time required to collect data.

These capabilities also hold true for offshore spill response and recovery operations, which also utilize predictable patterns that can be optimized by data-driven paths and dynamic waypoint following. Force multiplication, increased operational time, and reduced costs and risks only add to the advantages.

Drill Down Costs

Because autonomous systems integrate seamlessly with common on-board marine electronics – such as AIS, GPS, radar, cameras and sensors – a single remote operator can monitor the live data feeds of unmanned boats in real-time. This is particularly important in reducing the costs of offshore patrol and security boats monitoring high-value sites, such as energy platforms or wind farms.

In instances where payloads are required, a single operator can deploy or activate on-board equipment from another vessel or an on-shore site. Remotely operated payloads for offshore applications can include ROV and UUV deployment, launch stations, cranes, winches, security equipment, cameras, sensors, communications relays, aerial drones and more.

Pairing manned mother vessels with unmanned daughter craft – ideal for offshore surveillance and monitoring, surveying, seismic operations and spill responses – reduces crew expenses significantly and can increase operational periods due to the reduction in stop-work periods related to shift changes, darkness and weather.

Increase Safety

When it comes to offshore marine operations, nothing is more important than safety. Installing autonomous marine technology aboard vessels bolsters mariners with computer vision. Computer vision can process and detect objects sooner than the human eye, even in perfect conditions, and provides a redundant set of eyes for those in the bridge – helping to mitigate fatigue, distraction and poor visibility due to low light or weather.

Dynamic waypoint following further reduces the risks of mariner fatigue and distraction, acting as a modern autopilot that controls variable course and propulsion; as workboats autonomously execute planned paths, with obstacle avoidance enabled as a safety measure. This allows the mariner to focus on higher level tasks and be freed from tedious job of navigation, which is especially demanding in poor sea conditions.

When unmanned surface vessels are deployed, weather is less likely to compromise missions or negatively impact human health. Put simply, sea sickness, injury and dire risks to crews are eliminated.

For offshore jobs in extreme locations, such as in the Arctic, or toxic conditions, such as those that exist during spill incidents, unmanned vessels eliminate the need to expose crews, thus improving overall health and safety. When used in this way, an operator-in-the-loop can program a vessel to collect data or spilled product, deploy payloads and monitor surroundings in real time, all from a safe location.

Accomplish More Offshore, While Reducing Risk and Cost

For operators of small- and medium-sized vessels, such as offshore tugs, patrol boats, spill-response vessels and crew boats, Sea Machines SM series of autonomous-command and remote-control products are available now. Those who take advantage of Sea Machines products will, in most cases, see return on investment realized within a year, thanks to increases in productivity, predictability and efficiency.

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, typically requiring only 10 components to install. Most vessels can be outfitted with a Sea Machines system in two days or less. Even for small fleets, the system is surprisingly accessible, thanks to an affordable price point or flexible leasing options.

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 to discuss the options for upgrading your vessels today, using the form below.

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Leaders within the government and military are recognizing that autonomous marine technology offers a major competitive advantage for national security and defense; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); rescue and relief efforts; and environmental research. At a time when budgets are lean, the ability to operate military and government vessels in autonomous, semi-autonomous and unmanned modes means units can do more with less, at reduced risk and cost, for a wide variety of missions.

The following outlines several of the most-common use cases for autonomy, and how it can deliver greater performance when lives, progress and freedom are on the line.

Defense, Surveillance and Security

For branches charged with defense of people, assets or borders, marine autonomy enables surface vessels to operate with increased productivity, predictability and safety via pre-programmed vessel movements and navigation plans. Autonomous marine technology lets a single, shore-based operator command and control an entire unmanned fleet of vessels and create tactical advantages. These fleets can be programmed to work collaboratively in covering large surveillance areas in less time.

The escorting of ships carrying high-value cargo is also made more efficient and effective, as autonomous security boats can be programmed to match the speed and course of the assets to which they’re assigned.

Offshore and long perimeters can be defended via a fleet of unmanned patrol boats, which don’t require shift changes, stop-work periods or long crew transit times.

Obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities reduce risk of collisions and enable automatic re-routing around a hazard or target before safely resuming the planned course.

Because autonomous marine technology integrates with common situational awareness tools and systems – such as radar, AIS, GPS and non-emitting sensors – autonomous defense vessels can execute missions with little to no human intervention, and with increased situational awareness. Sensor fusion offers advantages in the Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF) because recognized objects are paired with marine traffic data. In the case of an encroaching vessel, this match-up provides a target’s name and flag, speed, course and more to an on-board or on-shore operator, enabling faster classification of the approaching object as safe, suspicious or a threat.

Remote payload control allows an off-site operator command of on-board equipment, such as cameras, cranes, launch stations, weapons and gear, antipiracy tools and more. Remotely operated sensors and cameras can be used to detect aerial, surface-level and sub-sea threats, which are critical for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW); interdictory operations; mine hunting; heat, chemical or nuclear detection; drug and human trafficking prevention; and more. From nearly any location, an operator can access this payload data and engage equipment to safely and successfully complete missions.

For special operations, minimally manned and unmanned marine operations allow for removal of military personnel from potential hostage situations. Unmanned drone boats can serve as diversions, allowing crewed boats to complete missions safely. In extreme cases, antipiracy equipment can be used aboard unmanned surface vessels (USVs), by off-site operators who can remotely control on-board cameras, sensors and security equipment, and can even delete sensitive on-board data and override controls. Ultimately, unmanned vessels can take on the most dangerous and unpleasant work, invaluably protecting the warfighter.

Read more about how autonomous marine technology enables patrol and security workboats.

ISR and Communications

ISR/Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) work is a significant undertaking by the government, and one that demands deep resources. Autonomous surface vessels can now add value by playing a critical role in ocean surveillance systems – which can include reconnaissance satellites, surveillance sub-sea vessels, underwater sensors and maritime patrol aircraft. A vital link to the assets above and below them, unmanned surface boats can be stationed long-term at sea to serve as the gateway of the communication chain that feeds branches critical and encrypted data. Autonomous boats do this much more predictably, cost effectively and without the need to staff a team at sea long-term.

Another challenge USVs can help to solve is energy reserves at sea. Autonomous vessels can be equipped to serve as a “floating battery,” providing enough power to connect stand-off vessels to SATCOMs.

In situations where traditional communications or GPS data has been compromised, unmanned vessels can serve as low-frequency Positioning Navigation and Timing (PNTs), providing situational awareness and stealth to other aerial, surface-level and underwater assets. For scenarios where GPS has been denied or jammed, USVs can act as a pseudo-lite for precision navigation reference.

Rescue and Relief

Autonomous marine assets can support rescue operations, expeditionary logistics and humanitarian relief efforts because they can deliver cargo, ammunition and personnel faster and more cost-effectively. For warfighters who are captured in hostile or remote areas, mission leaders can rapidly deploy unmanned surface vessels in support of their life-saving extractions. Entire fleets can also be programmed to collaboratively execute sweeping patterns to more productively search for downed planes or vessels in water.

Following disasters near coastal areas, an unmanned vessel stationed near shore can provide a signal to restore communications and connectivity. Autonomous surface vessels can also offer medical support by acting as efficient “floating hospitals.” A minimally crewed ship allows more room for medical staff and patients, and operates more predictably and safely.

Research and Environmental Assessments

For marine scientists and researchers, computerized route planning yields greater productivity and increased predictability – major advantages for sectors facing limited resources. Object detection and avoidance ensures data-optimized re-routing in seconds, so exploration can resume faster. Remote payload control means that unmanned research boats can collect more samples and data with greater accuracy and reduced cost. Elimination of on-board personnel when conditions are poor mitigates against missions being compromised by sea-sickness or human injury.

Read more about how autonomous marine technology aids hydrographic survey work.

Maximizing Mission Success, Reducing Effort and Cost

One of the most important advantages marine autonomy offers is its ability help prioritize manpower for the most important actions and decisions. Government and military divisions that capitalize on manned and unmanned teaming for marine operations can maximize productivity predictability and safety, while reducing risk and cost. Additionally, purposeful technology innovation is a critical pursuit for global leaders as they work to stay one step ahead of adversaries.

Sea Machines autonomous-command and remote-control technologies make all of this possible, without the need to build new, costly special-purpose autonomous vessels. Our products can be quickly installed aboard fleets to add an immediate increase in capability, productivity, predictability and safety for all types of government and military marine missions.

Read a list of the top capabilities Sea Machines autonomy adds to fleets here.

Ready to learn more about modernizing a military or government vessel fleet? Contact us:

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Space is limited, so reserve your space or schedule time to meet with Sea Machines during the show here.

Key facts to know before the show:

• Sea Machines products are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing survey equipment and software found aboard vessels.
• Our systems integrate multiple on-board systems and use collected data to autonomously make decisions that improve overall operational performance, capability and safety.
• The SM300 allows operators to plan, save and record survey routes for optimized predictability and data collection.
• The SM300 offers object detection and avoidance functionality, and will autonomously and intelligently route a survey workboat safely around hazards. Once clear, Sea Machines will resume the vessel’s planned survey line.
• Sea Machines enables collaborative vessel operations, offering a force-multiplier effect for large survey areas.
• The SM200 offers remote control of a minimally manned, second vessel from a shoreside location or mothership, thus increasing productivity and reducing costs.

Interested in reading more about the applications for our technology aboard hydrographic survey boats? Click here to read our blog post on the subject. Marine operators can also compare the SM300 and SM200 products here.

Sea Machines is a proud member of THSOA.

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The environmental benefits of removing more plastic from the ocean faster are clear, but Holm also pointed out the significant cost savings that autonomy adds to vessel operations. In particular, Sea Machines products significantly reduce workboats’ operational costs via saved time, resources and lowered crew expenses. With the company’s products installed on board, vessel routes are data-driven and can be pre-programmed for maximum productivity. Further, the well-being of crews must be considered: Sea Machines reduces operator risk, mitigates human error due to fatigue or distraction, and can eliminate crew exposure in dangerous environments.

Holm closed the presentation by discussing the functionality Sea Machines adds, including pre-programmed, waypoint following; methodical survey routes, which optimize clean-ups in large, open waterways; and collaborative following, which provides a force-multiplier effect as two or more vessels to work together autonomously or via remote control.

The Ocean Plastic Forum is a Danish initiative established in 2017 by a number of local companies and organizations. It gives Blue Denmark industry leaders, such as Sea Machines, the opportunity to periodically come together to discuss solutions that can remove plastic pollution from our seas in a financially viable way. Sea Machines is a proud member of the Ocean Plastic Forum.

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“This series of long-distance demos proved that the technology performs as expected and is available now for use aboard many types of commercial workboats,” said Sea Machines’ Founder and CEO Michael Johnson. “These products are already transporting the marine industry into a new era of task-driven, computer-guided operations, and are bringing advanced autonomy within reach for small and large-scale operators.”

“It was exciting to see this technology demonstrated live to owners and operators in the industry,” said Sea Machines Board Member Todd Busch, also Crowley Maritime Corp.’s senior vice president and general manager, solutions. “Successfully repeating the demos over three days reinforced the reliability and performance capabilities of Sea Machines products. After watching, it was clear to all that these systems are available for installation now and offer an immediate upgrade to marine operations.”

Last month, the company made commercially available the world’s first industrial-grade autonomous and remote-control products purpose-built for workboats. This introductory line of intelligent command and control systems, which include the Sea Machines SM300 and SM200, is ideally suited for the demanding challenges of offshore commercial, scientist and government applications. 

The SM300 provides remote-command, operator-in-the loop autonomy for survey, spill response, dredging and security/surveillance operations. Capabilities include autonomous command, remote control, obstacle avoidance, pre-planned route following and collaborative operations. 

For customers seeking remote-control operability only, the company offers the SM200, with ideal applications aboard fireboats, utility craft, spill-response vessels and others. 

Sea Machines is also developing advanced perception and navigation assistance technology for a range of vessel types, including container ships. Trials for this product have already begun aboard an A.P. Moller-Maersk new-build ship.

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

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Nearly every recreational boater and commercial marine operator has benefitted from hydrographic survey data by way of nautical charts, depth guides or maps showing submerged obstacles. Hydrographic data helps to keep vessels safe, but can also guide the strategies of those involved in marine construction, offshore exploration and/or drilling, coastal engineering and zone management, commercial fishing, dredging projects and more. This data is also important for comparison purposes following incidents, such as weather events or marine accidents, that could alter the health, shape, depth and size of waterways.

To collect marine data, researchers use specialized hydrographic survey instruments – including multibeam and side-scan sonar, echo sounders, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) radar, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and more – to map a body of water’s depth and size, physical characteristics, the shape and patterns of the coastline and/or floor, and the locations of submerged obstructions.

Interestingly, while these hydrological surveys of waterways are highly sophisticated, a conflicting paradox within the industry exists. The sector uses some of the most advanced sonar and positioning equipment, but the collection of data uses manual operations that are both time consuming and monotonous.

Across all industries, manual operations add inefficiencies, risk and cost to operations. From agriculture and transportation to mining and construction, advanced automation and robotics are revolutionizing how planned and routine work is done all over the world.

Hydrography is no exception. By its very nature, the act of surveying is ideally suited for marine autonomy. Consider the operations involved – the predetermined routes, the repetitive scanning, the routine sampling and more. It might sound simple, but keeping a survey boat on a planned track line is a difficult and arduous task. (Equate it to zig-zagging a push-mower across a football field until all the grass is trimmed.)

Today’s autonomous control technologies – like the Sea Machines 300 workboat system – allow hydrographic surveyors to modernize operations in a way that is proven to increase efficiency and reduce costs, while increasing safety. It also helps surveyors stand out in a sea of competitors, as technological innovation is anticipated to become a future requirement by organizations seeking data collection services, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Early adopters of modern, innovative technologies have the most to gain.

To date, only five percent of the ocean floor has been imaged in detail; however, with modern visual digitalization technologies the global survey industry is poised for large growth. Sea Machines helps scientists meet these industry demands and increase competitiveness with autonomous vessel technologies that offers the following on-board features:

• Remote command
• Autonomous control
• Pre-programmed survey routes
• Autonomous collaboration between vessels
• Autonomous collision avoidance

In addition to the features above, adding a Sea Machines 300 system to hydrographic survey workboats allows an on-board crew to focus on other operations, like data processing/or quality control and provides the option to operate in lower-cost, minimally manned or unmanned configurations. In controlled environments, a remote operator can command a single or multiple autonomous hydrographic survey vessels from a mothership or shore location. This is done with video, radar and AIS, and in some cases, the survey data itself. The Sea Machines 300 system also gives a hydrographic survey ship operator the ability to remotely control onboard payloads, such as survey sonars, hydrophones, winches, cranes and davits.

Importantly, the collaborative work feature included in Sea Machines’ autonomous system creates a multiplier effect when surveying large areas.

Operators can now coordinate multiple boats to follow the same planned path at set distances apart and collaborate with autonomous capability enables unprecedented surface coverage.

“This technology is a great tool for surveyors; it allows us to cover more ground with efficiency,” said Dave Olin, owner of Olin Hydrographic Solutions, Inc. “In particular, Sea Machines has a great approach: With the ability to equip nearly any vessel, we expect this technology to be increasingly common and part of future customer contracts.”

Hydrographic survey operations of all sizes can benefit from autonomous vessel technology. Whether a surveyor’s operations include two boats, or larger ships with daughter craft, adding a Sea Machines autonomous control system to commercial vessels is simple. The technology can be added to existing assets as a retrofit or as part of new-build packages, requiring only 10 components to install. Most vessels can be outfitted with a custom Sea Machines system in just a couple days.

Even for small hydrographic survey businesses, the system is surprisingly accessible, thanks to an affordable price point or flexible leasing options. Sea Machines is also actively seeking new partnerships with forward-thinking hydrographic survey contractors that have an interest in participating in pilot programs that will continually improve our technology while decreasing operational costs. These early adopters can benefit from special pricing and other incentives.

It’s time to recalibrate the hydrographic survey industry with marine robotics. Sea Machines is proud to be navigating the way, thanks to its autonomous systems purpose-built for the marine industry. If you’re ready to modernize your hydrographic survey operations, contact us today.

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