Robotic Systems News

U.S. autonomous vessel developer Saronic is moving to integrate physical AI-driven welding robotics into its Louisiana shipyard operations, launching a collaboration with Path Robotics aimed at accelerating production and modernizing American shipbuilding.The initiative will begin at Saronic’s Franklin, Louisiana facility, where intelligent welding cells will combine Path Robotics’ AI-enabled welding models with Saronic’s in-house team of welders. The goal is to increase throughput…

In a move that underscores the accelerating adoption of robotics in shipbuilding, Seaspan Shipyards has awarded a $1.5 million contract to Alberta-based Confined Space Robotics (CSR) to develop and integrate semiautonomous robotic systems for blast and paint operations.Surface preparation and coating are core processes in both newbuild and complex repair and overhaul programs, particularly in submarine work where confined spaces and hazardous materials present heightened safety risks.

Trident Maritime Systems, a major supplier to the U.S. Navy, has partnered with Gecko Robotics to deploy advanced manufacturing technologies that expand production of the fleet’s essential components.Across 20 fabrication facilities responsible for mission-critical parts to fully integrated shipboard systems, AI and robotics will increase throughput by at least 40% in support of the Navy’s growing shipbuilding and sustainment demands.Gecko and Trident will bring new digital and robotic capabilities to increase capacity within legacy manufacturing environments…

Ocean Infinity has reached a significant milestone with the delivery of the final vessel in its 14-vessel Armada fleet, featuring advanced underwater robotic systems capable of a wide range of data collection tasks.Over the past five years, Ocean Infinity has built and deployed a fleet of cutting-edge lean crewed vessels unlike anything the industry has seen before.This latest delivery completes the 86-meter class of Armada ships, following the successful introduction of the 78-meter class in 2023.

In April this year, the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee approved guidance on in-water cleaning of ships' biofouling and also approved a proposal for the development of a legally binding framework for the management of biofouling.The move comes in recognition that biofouling is a key contributor invasive species and to greenhouse gas emissions. Biofouling can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%, costing the shipping industry $40-50 billion annually and driving excess…

The U.S. Coast Guard has set up the initial operating capability of a Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program Executive Office.The office is a key component of the Service's Force Design 2028 (FD 2028) plan, and the Coast Guard claims it is poised to be the most transformational enhancement to capability since the inception of aviation. The office is dedicated to the rapid operationalization of the Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan.Robotics and autonomous systems are anticipated to revolutionize Coast Guard operations…

The UK's National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Royal Navy, reinforcing a long-standing partnership in marine science and technology. The MOU, which includes collaboration with the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the Ministry of Defense (MOD)’s science and technology organization, underscores a shared commitment to fostering innovation and advances in autonomous and robotic underwater systems.With expertise from NOC Innovations…

US Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS) addressed a hearing titled “America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure” on Wednesday saying: “It is clearly critical that we must build a safer and more efficient system.”The new chairman, for the 119th Congress, said the Jones Act is quite literally the bedrock and foundation of the nation’s shipbuilding industrial base because it helps to maintain a pool of qualified American mariners that the US relies on to transport goods and its military…

Italian companies Comau and Fincantieri presented today  the first result of their joint collaboration with Automatica: MR4Weld (Mobile Robot for Weld), a mobile robot, an innovative outdoor automation solution, designed to improve the quality, performance and well-being of operators during labor-intensive welding activities.The MR4Weld mobile robot is being tested and will be used in the Fincantieri shipyards to autonomously weld steel structures, with the possibility of increasing operations up to to 3 times compared to a manual process…

ABB has introduced a new Operational Planner module for its ABB Ability OCTOPUS – Marine Advisory System to help offshore fleet managers plan and optimize the maintenance of offshore wind farm operations.For support vessels moving between turbines or rigs during a single shift, OCTOPUS Operational Planner forecasts vessel workability across multiple sites. Whereas an offshore support vessel typically relies on an onboard weather routing system to predict weather and wave heights…

An ocean tug is set to embark on a 1,000 nautical mile autonomous and remotely commanded journey around Denmark to prove that the world’s waterways are primed and ready for autonomous vessel technologies, autonomous command and control systems developer Sea Machines announced on Tuesday.The vessel will depart from Hamburg, Germany on October 1 with full onboard vessel control managed by autonomous technology while operating under the authority of commanding officers located in the United States. During the journey, which Sea Machines is calling The Machine Odyssey, human passengers on board will enjoy the benefits of autonomous operations…

In 1985, Chris Deegan was hired out of Penn State as a nuclear submarine cost estimator by the Naval Sea Systems Command and retired nearly 28 years later as the Executive Director of PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, with the last 10 as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He’s been with Gibbs & Cox since 2013, first as the Vice President of Engineering, and as President and Chief Executive since 2016.Please give a “by the numbers” look at Gibbs & Cox today.Since our founding in 1929…

The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future. The 2018 document states that UxS will operate in every domain…

Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey. Now the firm is taking the use of remote, robotic systems a significant step further.Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured an order from SIA Solutions LLC to deliver 36 traction winch systems, 72 storage reel brakes and electrical control systems to the specialised concrete mat sinking unit, Armor 1, currently under construction at Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC, Houma, La. for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2020 fourth quarter order intake. Equipment delivery is planned for the middle of 2021, with…

Greensea's open architecture technology on Remotely Operated Vehicles furthered by Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grantGreensea Systems, Inc. creator of OPENSEA, an open architecture robotics platform for the marine industry, won a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) ASAP grant totaling $1,100,000, with option for additional funding, for the continued development of Standoff Command and Control of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division…

Ocean Infinity, a U.S. based marine survey firm developing the world's largest fleet of unmanned surface vessels - Armada - has ordered Sonardyne sensors for its robotic vessels.As reported previously, Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).Sonardyne said Wednesday it would provide the first wave of Ocean Infinity’s new Armada fleet with key sensor technologies for underwater platform navigation…

Greensea introduces a new hull crawler that easily attaches a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to a ship hull without magnetics, allowing the operator to “drive” the ROV and payloads over the hull. Initial hull crawlers are designed to work exclusively with the VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender ROV. The hull crawler represents a milestone in Greensea’s hull robotics program, which is advancing navigation and localization capabilities for a fully autonomous robotic hull inspection and proactive in-water cleaning solution. “VideoRay is a valued Greensea partner with a dynamic and powerful ROV.

Inspecting fuel and ballast tanks. Sand-blasting old paint coatings and applying new ones. Removing corrosion on ships, submarines, aircraft and other vehicles.These are some of the unpleasant jobs in naval shipyards and maintenance facilities that could be made safer by pairing human workers with robots. Experts say this could improve the speed and efficiency with which the U.S. Navy sustains its assets—and expand the career paths of current workers (and create new jobs) by teaching them to operate…

The marine technology company Kraken Robotics has received $1.7 million purchase orders from Ocean Infinity for the AquaPix Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) sensors and support.According to a press note from the provider of software-centric sensors and underwater robotic systems, product delivery is expected during Q1 and Q2, 2019. This is the second set of purchase orders from Ocean Infinity under an initial master agreement contract announced in Q3 2017.Oliver Plunkett, President and CEO of Ocean Infinity said, “We are very pleased to add additional Kraken technology to our suite of latest generation tools with the order of further AquaPix SAS sensors for our AUV fleet.

The navy shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (IMF) and Sarcos Robotics will jointly develop robotic technologies, including full-body powered exoskeletons, for use in naval shipyards, the two entities jointly announced.Sarcos Robotics, a player in robotic systems that augment rather than replace humans working in the industrial, public safety and military sectors, said in a press note that they would will evaluate Sarcos’ Guardian XO battery-powered full-body exoskeleton as well as its Guardian S inspection robot for use across a wide variety of unstructured, challenging work environments and tasks.Areas of initial focus will be manipulation of heavy items…

As the global fleet of offshore renewables fleet increases, ways to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency and safety of operations and maintenance work, using robotics and autonomous systems, will also grow. Elaine Maslin reports.Robotics and autonomous systems are moving into many areas of modern day life. It’s becoming harder to avoid them, from our phones to automotive systems and now offshore energy renewable projects.Both are seen as tools to do otherwise dull, dirty or dangerous work…

The U.K.'s first maritime autonomous systems testing service is set to launch later this year. BAE Systems said it has been awarded £457,000 (approximately $594,700) in grant funding from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to design and deliver the U.K.’s first dedicated autonomous systems testing service. Based around Portsmouth, Southampton and the South East of the Isle of Wight, BAE Systems will work with ASV Global (ASV), Blue Bear Systems Research (Blue Bear)…