Xprize News

Uncrewed surface vessel specialist SEA-KIT International has announced plans to build another of its X-class, 12m USVs as a fleet vessel for launch in 2022. This build, the sixth X-class to be constructed at the company’s Essex base, will pave the way for the company to meet increased market demand for unmanned vessels and to penetrate new sectors of the global maritime industry, the company said.SEA-KIT CEO, Ben Simpson, commented: “Our X-class USV has changed very little since we won the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE with USV ‘Maxlimer’ back in 2015.

While the adoption of unmanned/uncrewed surfaces vessels (USVs) was initially in defence, use of these low footprint systems has spread into other sectors, not least survey, and now the race is on for greater capability, endurance and autonomy. Elaine Maslin reports.After starting small, in inland waterways, use of USVs for survey operations has moved into coastal and now offshore waters. Given the extensive amount of seabed and rapid growth in offshore wind, there’s plenty of work out there for them to do.With the travel restrictions posed by Covid and increasing awareness of climate change…

UK-based autonomous work-boat company SEA-KIT said that its Maxlimer could be the first unmanned surface vessel across the Atlantic.The British drone ship is set to sail from the coast of Canada and attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean for Great Britain this fall in a voyage that could bring crewless cargo ships closer to reality.According to The Daily Beast, the Atlantic crossing is scheduled for sometime in the first half of 2020. Since Maxlimer has a range of 12,000 nm with its twin diesel engines, the journey is well within its technical specifications, and it is expected to take about one month to complete the voyage.The Maxlimer…

The GEBCO NF- Alumni Team was announced as the $4 million grand prize winner of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a three-year global competition that challenged teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous and unmanned, fast and high-resolution ocean exploration. The team's winning concept includes the use of a unique unmanned surface vessel (USV) / autonomous underwater vessel (AUV) and associated combination of communications hardware and software to process and transmit data remotely.

On Friday, May 31, the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE awards event will be livestreamed from Monaco where the winners of the $7 million global ocean mapping competition will be revealed.The three-year competition challenged teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous and unmanned, fast and high-resolution ocean exploration.Tune in here at 1:30 p.m. (ET) to see the overall and NOAA bonus prize winners announced.

Final preparations are underway for a 12-meter-long ship to set sail from Canada and attempt the world's first transatlantic crossing without a crew.The USV Maxlimer, an unmanned surface vessel, is bound for the south coast of England and will conduct deep sea surveys on the way, guided by a skipper in a control station in Britain.The voyage is expected to take about 35 days.The ship was built by Sea-Kit International, which develops vessels for the maritime and research industries, for the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a competition to autonomously survey the sea bed.It can launch and recover

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

For experts in the field of ocean mapping it is no small irony that we know more about the surfaces of the Moon and Mars than we do about our planet's sea floor."Can you imagine operating on the land without a map, or doing anything without a map?" asked Larry Mayer, director of the U.S.-based Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, a research body that trains hydrographers and develops tools for mapping."We depend on having that knowledge of what's around us - and the same is true for the ocean…

NYK has agreed to sponsor Team KUROSHIO,* a finalist in the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE competition, by providing the transportation for the team’s unmanned robots, which are being used in this international competition to quickly and accurately map the ocean floor. Team KUROSHIO has participated in this competition over the past three years, and after passing through the technical documentation stage and an actual ocean test in Round 1, the team has advanced to Round 2, the final round, to be held in October 2018. The research team is the only Japanese representative remaining in the competition, and during the final round will be asked to map at least 250 square kilometers of ocean floor in 24 hours at ocean depths up to 4,000 meters. The results will be announced in December 2018.

Norway’s newest autonomous shipping test site is now officially open and ready to support the development of high-tech autonomous maritime solutions. Building on Norway’s leading position within the burgeoning autonomous shipping segment, the new test-bed in Horten is designed to offer Norwegian and international organizations a convenient, safe, non-congested space to trial new technology and vessels as the third of its kind in the country and the fourth such approved area in the world.

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Seapower Subcommittee, announced that he successfully added his “SHIPS Act” proposal to help the Navy reach its requirement of a 355-ship fleet in this year’s “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA). The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved the national defense bill, authorizing $640 billion in overall funding for America’s servicemembers, military installations and industrial base. It now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Justin Manley has joined Juliet Marine Systems (JMS) as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, the company announced today. Manley brings over 20 years of experience in the marine technology sector including roles at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He has also led growth of sales and development of new products at both startup companies and public corporations. At JMS, Manley will lead all aspects of sales, marketing and business development. In addition to his new role at JMS, Manley is involved in the marine technology profession through a variety of leadership roles.

XPRIZE announced that team registration is open for the $2 million Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE, a competition to incentivize breakthroughs in ocean pH sensor technology that will radically transform our understanding of ocean acidification. Teams are expected to come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from nanotechnology and biotechnology to industrial chemistry and marine science -- from academic institutions, nonprofit organizations and small and medium enterprises. Or…

The oceans provide a wealth of opportunities that are currently unrealized. From trade and resources to new information services, the number of industries that could capitalize on our oceans is still far too small. But our oceans also face tremendous challenges. Pollution, over-exploitation and climate change are just a few of the problems conspiring to decimate both ecosystems and industries that rely on our seas. To tackle the grand challenges facing our oceans, we need to unite the opportunities that exist with the solutions that are needed.

XPRIZE announced the launch of its next major competition: the $2 million Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE. On the heels of the successful Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup XCHALLENGE, the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE aims to spur global innovators to develop accurate and affordable ocean pH sensors that will ultimately transform our understanding of ocean acidification, one of the gravest problems associated with the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The oceans absorb about one quarter of the CO2 that humans release into the atmosphere, causing the chemistry of the water to change and the oceans to become more acidic. As a result of increased CO2 emissions, ocean acidity is now at unprecedented levels, which could have devastating global consequences.

Registration for the largest-ever Oceanology International (ExCeL London, March 11-13, 2014) is now open at oceanologyinternational.com. With 520 exhibitors from 35 countries taking up over 8,000 m2 net of space, the biennial global forum is where industry, academia and government come together to share knowledge and connect with their peers in the marine technology and ocean science community, thus improving their strategies for measuring, exploiting, protecting and operating in the world’s oceans. “It is not only the exhibition that is record-breaking, we have an impressive series of eight conferences and three highly topical panel discussions planned by the industry for the industry,” explained Event Director, James Coleman of Reed Exhibitions.