Join Virginia Institute of Marine Science researcher Dr. Mark Patterson, graduate student Noelle Relles, Virginia Sea Grant Marine Education Specialist and Bridge team member Chris Petrone and student volunteer Sarina Patterson on a 5-day expedition to map the coral reefs around the one and only Aquarius underwater habitat! Using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) developed by Dr. Patterson, the science team will be using side-scan sonar and underwater video to determine the biodiversity of the coral reefs around the habitat, as well as what species live there.

The expedition website features daily blog entries, video, pictures and suggested lesson plans and other education resources. As a special bonus, the team will deliver two real-time online seminars where they will be not only describing the mission, but also accepting questions from participants. These webinars will take place Thursday, August 20 at 14:00 (2:00pm) EDT and Thursday, August 20 at 19:00 (7:00pm) EDT. The first will take place topside, above the Aquarius habitat, weather permitting, and focus on using Aquarius as a teaching and learning tool, while the second will take place from the Land Base and focus more on the project at hand, as well as some of the other research occurring at Aquarius. The real-time webinars are available to all, however only those that register (free) with Ustream will be able to post questions via instant chat. All participants are encouraged to provide feedback via an online survey which will be discussed during the webinars.

Expedition homepage

Expedition ustream page

¡Lo conseguí! Después de mes y medio aquí por fin he hecho algo productivo, llevo todo el día intentando que el dorado1 (alias el submarino amarillo) me haga un poquito de caso y se mueva cuando se lo digo, ¡y lo acabo de conseguir! Le he mandado que se vaya desde su posición actual hasta el sur de la bahía y que allí espere para que le recojamos, y me ha obedecido. No me lo puedo creer. Claro, que tampoco os emocionéis, que esto no son más que simulaciones, habrá que ver si me hace caso el bicho real cuando me enfrente a él. Pero oye, un paso es un paso, y ya estaba a punto de tirar la toalla y esperar que el lunes trajera tiempos mejores.

Para que os hagáis una idea, esto es como intentar programar un vídeo sin manual de instrucciones, pero a lo bruto. Vas probando cosas hasta que de repente suena la flauta. Ahora a seguir la primera máxima del ingeniero: “Si funciona, no lo toques” y a seguir probando a ver si me hace caso en misiones un poco más complicadas.
Esto habrá que celebrarlo, aprovecharé que esta tarde he quedado con un par de chicos franceses de MBARI para tomar unas cervezas y luego ir al cine a ver una película (francesa, con subtítulos en inglés, puede ser la risa).

The report describes how AUVs fit into the family tree of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), outlines the development of the industry and gives many examples of the various types of AUVs and the technologies involved. AUV market modelling process is based on three scenarios and includes oil & gas, research and military applications. The AUV Gamechanger Report 2008-17 begins with identifying the existing fleet numbers, then examines the market drivers and prospects in each of the main application sectors before developing forecasts basis for total growth prospects to 2017 on a ‘scenario’ basis.
 
Table of Contents :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS
Overview of key report findings, market forecasts, conclusions.

AN INTRODUCTION TO UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLES
Overview of ROV vehicle types and their purpose, rationale & technical evolution of AUVs, significant points in AUV history.

APPLICATIONS
Why AUVs? – The alternatives, advantages of using AUVs. Description of AUV applications including commercial oil & gas related activities submarine telecoms cables, military, ocean research and others.

AUV TECHNOLOGY
Hull shape & size, power, propulsion and maneuvering, buoyancy, positioning & navigation, communications, sensor payloads, autonomy.

MARKET FORECASTS 2008-2017
Introduction – the existing fleet, the scenario approach, market drivers. Oil & gas sector forecasts, deepwater survey, deepwater field operations and pipelines. Hydrographic and research sectors. Submarine cable sector, military sector. Total market – units and values

APPENDICIES
Summary company profiles, hardware manufacturers & vehicle operators.

To know more, kindly visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/report/report.asp?reportid=7184
or email us your query at press@aarkstore.com

I took MIT’s latest AUV for a spin this week. It’s called Odyssey IV and has been designed to glide AND hover. Supposedly, most subs can only do one or the other.

The bright yellow sub can go down to 6,000m which should allow it to explore 98% of the ocean floor. It’s been built to monitor the long term effects of climate change on corals and is funded by the NSF and Chevron. The scientists said the oil firm was primarily involved becuase of the coral conservation work but said they also had an interest in using the vehicle for oil exploration. Green wash? Maybe. Either way, it’s cool vehicle. I’ve put some captioned pictures of it on Flickr here.

***UPDATE 28/09/08*** Roland Piquepaille over at ZDNet has kindly linked to my Flickr set in his post about Odyssey IV.

***UPDATE 2 02/10/08*** Ewen Callaway at New Scientist has also written about the sub and used my pictures. Pity they didn’t link to my 2005 New Scientist piece, ‘The race to revisit the ocean depths’.

Spray para la desmemoria

Cada vez que la Yidispolítica, la Narcoparapolítica, Los Sargentos Paz, etc., amenacen el Statu Quo… un rocío de Spray para el Olvido, para continuar con la Política de Seguridad Democrática con filtro AUV, para perpetuar el efecto Teflón de nuestra querida Patria Boba, con P, mayúscula (como dictamina el manual de estilo de presidencia y bendecido por la religión Católica)

Spray para el pueblo, porque la inflación de alimentos ya no da para darle pan, pero seguro, mucho Circo sí.

AirJelly is a remote-controlled helium balloon that was shown off at the Hanover Messe last week. The video above demonstrates the radical way it moves around the air, what’s even more impressive is that the AirJelly uses nothing more powerful than a pair of lithium-ion-polymer batteries to make flight. Designed by German company Festo, it has a sub-aquatic partner, the AquaJelly (see below) that can move around underwater equally gracefully. The pair of prototypes are part of a new generation of autonomous vehicles, which include the AquaRay and its airborne sibling, the AirRay.