Marport Completes Successful In-Water Tests of SQX-UUV
The Managing Director and Operations Manager of Geodetic Offshore Services Limited (GOSL), Nigeria visited Marport’s St. John’s office from March 15 to 17. The purpose of their visit was to demonstrate progress on the development of Marport’s SQX Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) program.
Last year, GOSL purchased a SQX-500 UUV, to be upgraded to a 3,000 meter depth rated SQX-3000 UUV, both equipped with a number of Marport sensors.
In-water tests of the vehicle were successfully completed in the large testing tanks of the NRC Institute for Ocean Technology and the Marine Institute Flume Tank. As a result of these successful tests, GOSL has decided to execute its option to procure a second SQX class vehicle.
National Research Council Article
An article about Marport’s SQX Unmanned Underwater Vehicle program is now available on the NRC website at:
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/news/nrc/2010/03/01/marport.html
Highlights – Sonar company sounds out new markets
March 1, 2010
A small unmanned submarine with cutting-edge manoeuvring and sonar capabilities is set to dive into new commercial and defence markets.
St. John’s-based Marport Canada Inc., which builds sonars for commercial deepwater fishing, is releasing its SQX-500 submarine. The submarine was built with NRC help and is suited for use in defence, offshore energy and ocean science applications.
The story starts in 2005, when Marport CEO Karl Kenny conceived the idea of using software to define the function of a sonar device, rather than building a dedicated piece of equipment for each type of application.
“We thought, ‘Why don’t we build one platform that would cover a wide range of applications in our area?’” says Neil Riggs, Marport’s vice-president of research and development. “As we explored the idea, we realized there were other markets we could get into besides fishing.”
One sonar, many uses
Marport’s SQX-500 robot submersible uses software modules to perform many types of sonar roles.Marport’s unique software-defined sonar uses pre-programmed computer modules that plug into a single piece of standard sensor hardware. Until now, each individual type of sonar has been designed as a separate piece of electronics hardware.
Thinking about uses for the device, Kenny reasoned that an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) — basically a robot submarine — could carry the sonar system into new markets.
The first thought was to build a vehicle to “fly” a side-scanning sonar above the ocean floor to map routes for subsea cables and pipelines. In order for the images to be usable, the AUV would have to be stable. Kenny suggested that if it could be made stable enough, and could also hover, it could take on further roles such as underwater inspections. In 2007, Marport decided to develop its own AUV.
“At that point I remembered that I knew people at the NRC Institute for Ocean Technology in St. John’s who were involved with this kind of work,” says Riggs.
A custom-built sub
NRC had an underwater vehicle development team. Marport had an innovative sonar technology. They joined forces to develop the SQX-500. NRC suggested using an inherently stable twin-hull design pioneered at the U.S.-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and, with Marport, developed a combined propulsion and steering gear to give the little sub unique capabilities.
“The basic idea came from NRC,” says Riggs. “It has really evolved, but NRC was an important partner at the beginning and is still very much part of the project. We have a nice little vehicle now, and Memorial University of Newfoundland has joined the development team.”
The vehicle is a twin-hulled submersible with two 1.6-metre long, 23-cm diameter hulls that hold sonar, batteries and navigation electronics. Joining the top and bottom hulls are a pair of rudders, each supporting a motor, thrusters and horizontal winglets that provide power and steering.
The “vector thrustering propulsion control system,” prototyped in NRC’s test tanks in St. John’s, and jointly patented by Marport and NRC, gives the machine high manoeuvrability and a helicopter-like ability to hover.
Going deeper and farther
The SQX-500 can dive to 500 metres, but Marport already plans a model for 3000 metres. In addition to civil uses, the company will work with General Dynamics Canada to develop the AUV for defence roles such as anti-mine countermeasures.
Plans for the future: a swarm of SQX vehicles operating under the ice. Graphic courtesy of General Dynamics Canada Ltd.Plans for the future: a swarm of SQX vehicles operating under the ice. Graphic courtesy of General Dynamics Canada Ltd.
Riggs sees many essential but low-profile uses for an SQX-type of vehicle, such as mapping routes for underwater oil and gas pipelines or power cables, or inspecting underwater parts of offshore drilling platforms.
Riggs says that in the future, AUVs will work in swarms — each independent, but communicating with the others to cover various tasks in an overall mission. In the nearer term, he hopes that SQX-500 swarms will be used to map the Arctic seabed.
“If we have one great ambition,” he says, “it’s to have our vehicle used in the Arctic, under the ice.”
Marport Accepts Innovation Award from National Research Council
Marport to Exhibit at Oceanology 2010
Marport will be exhibiting at the Oceanology International 2010 exhibition being held in London’s ExCel conference centre from March 9 – 11th.
Oceanology International (OI) is the world’s premier meeting place for the marine science and ocean technology community. OI hosts over 500 suppliers of products and services from around the world and is attended by over 6600 attendees from 89 different countries. In addition, the OI 2010 conference, developed with the Society for Underwater Technology, will focus on the five core technical disciplines and will be headed by some of the industry’s leaders and influencers.
Marport will be exhibiting in the Canadian Pavilion – Stand F300 and will be showcasing our latest developments in underwater sensing, communications and robotics.
A full scale model of the SQX-500 UUV will be on the stand; as well as the latest Software Defined Sonar® platforms, including DataSquid® and Sonar Blades®. We will also be displaying our new Multi-Sensor Data Fusion System for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles.
Appointments to meet with our technical or commercial personnel can be arranged by emailing Glenda Leyte, Marketing Manager at gleyte@marport.com
