Inside Unmanned Systems

APR-MAY 2017

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

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60 unmanned systems inside   April/May 2017 AIR & MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL year. Most of the testing right now is focused on the communications link between the ASV and the AUVs to make sure it's repeatable and reliable, Hook said. Planet Ocean set up an R&D; facility in the NOC's Marine Robotics Innovation Centre, giving them easy access to large tanks and the ability to test the AUVs in a variety of controlled environments, Sloane said. The AUVs can be taken down to full ocean depth in salt water where the temperature and other conditions are constantly changing. Access to tanks at the University of Southampton also has made it possible to test the AUVs in different wave conditions and at different speeds. ecoSUB-μ under test in NOC ballasting tank. ecoSUB-μ and ecoSUBm. Photos courtesy of Planet Ocean " THE WHOLE IDEA IS REALLY TO MAKE THE USE OF AUV (AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLE) TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBLE." Terry Sloane, managing director, Planet Ocean The Future Over the course of the project, there's been a lot of interest in what Planet Ocean and its partners are developing, Sloane said, from both those who have technology they want to contribute and those who are interested in purchasing a system. It's truly been a collab- orative project with new challenges presenting themselves every day, but one that will help re- duce costs and, once completed later this year, increase accessibility to AUVs. "It's a real trend to see different types of unmanned systems working together," Hook said. "Often, one type on its own doesn't do the whole job, but when you add a few systems together you can really get the task done. Everyone is interested in saving money and reducing ship time. This really makes a big difference on cost."

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