MTR 100: SeaBotix

Posted by Irina Tabakina

2877 Historic Decatur Road
San Diego, CA 92016
T:  619-450-4000
E:  [email protected]
W:  http://www.SeaBotix.com
CEO:  Donald Rodocker
President:  Rick Timm
CTO:  Sheldon Rubin
No. of Employees:  65
Sq. Footage:  17,500, Mfg. facility
Annual Sales: $18 million+

 

Company Profile:
SeaBotix is a manufacturer of underwater MiniROVs (Little Benthic Vehicles) that perform a multitude of tasks including but not limited to:  maritime security, search and recovery, hull and pipeline inspection, hazardous environment intervention, aquaculture and beyond dive-restriction oceanographic research.
Founded on years of research, development and underwater industry experience, SeaBotix seeks to deliver evolutionary advancements to a diverse suite of MiniROV systems providing a wide range of capable MiniROVs. SeaBotix staff is factory trained and globally experienced for in-field operations.  Training and support are offered at the SeaBotix 17,500 sq. ft. design and production facility in San Diego.  The facility includes dock, boat launch and separate waterfront classroom with direct access to the harbor and open water.  Training, service and repair for all products is provided from this facility but also worldwide, through an established full service distribution network or by sending a factory authorized technician directly to the preferred customer site.
 

Technology Profile:
SeaBotix MiniROVs are extremely maneuverable, 1 or 2 person portable, yet large enough to carry a complement of sensors, such as sonar, on a stable, controllable and precise platform.  All systems are designed for harsh underwater environments, field proven to extreme conditions including -20oC (-4oF),  globally operated by the world’s foremost armed forces and offered with a 2-year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
SeaBotix has been manufacturing observation class MiniROVs for more than 13 years.  The Little Benthic Vehicles (LBV) line of observation class ROVs provide a diverse suite of systems in a multitude of industries such as military, police, commercial, scientific, aquaculture, hydro and more.
SeaBotix continues to be on the leading edge with tethers, thrusters, video systems and emerging technologies such as: the LBC/vLBC Crawler System, Containerized Delivery System, and the SmartFlight Automated Navigation System.  The SeaBotix product line ranges from the shallow water LBV (Little Benthic Vehicle) systems to the vLBV (vectored Little Benthic Vehicle) system with up to 10 thrusters and capable of depths of 4,000 m (13,000 ft).  The LBC (Little Benthic Crawler) provides stability on ship hulls and infrastructures.

Innovations:
•    vLBV – vectored Little Benthic Vehicle – vectored MiniROV with six powerful brushless DC thrusters that provide equal power in all directions. 
•    CDS – Containerized Delivery system – rapid-response, fully self-contained, single-point pick system capable of operating ROVs, marine sampling devices, sonar systems and many other marine technologies up to 4,000 m deep.
•    LBC & vLBC – Little Benthic Crawler – a system approach to ship hull inspections and infrastructures – includes a crawler attachment with Vortex Generator that creates over 28 kgf (62 lbf) of attractive force for stability.
•    Tether – Ultra-low drag strong tether with 8.9 mm (0.35 in) nominal diameter and 100 kgf (220 lbf) working load.
•    SmartFlight Automated Navigation System – Employs sensor fusion technology that minimizes hardware dependency while providing a full suite of automated features for the vLBV.

The Case:  SeaBotix is a pioneer in the development and manufacture of capable underwater observation class ROVs, responsive to demanding and diverse professional applications.  Little Benthic Vehicles offer a high level of performance, versatility and intuitiveness proven by over 1,100 operators worldwide.

 

(As published in the July/Aug 2014 edition of Marine Technology Reporter - http://www.marinetechnologynews.com/Magazine)

Marine Technology Magazine, page 16, Jul 2014

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