Page 48: of Marine Technology Magazine (October 2014)

Inside San Diego?s Blue Tech Economy Inside San Diego?s Blue Tech Economy Ocean Aero Ocean Aero is a small, new San Diego-based un- manned maritime systems company that has big plans to provide both a product and service to solve a very difÞ cult problem Ð ocean observation. ÒOcean observation is being able to monitor or sense the environment above, on-top and below the surface of the water. Ocean Observation has been, until recently, largely done by manned vessels which have signiÞ cant endurance and Þ nical limitations. These limitations transfer immediately to the vari- ety of people who are trying to observe the oceans. We break those people into three groups: scientists; commercial opera-tors and government.Ó Patten describes the scientists as being all types who have a need to learn more or understand the ocean environment. The commercial operators includes anyone who is operates a part of their businesses at sea, such as Þ sheries, telecom and oil and gas. Government is a broad area that includes everyone from NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Ad- ministration), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all the way to the military and intelligence community and quite a few organizations in between. We are developing a game changing unmanned maritime ro- bot that will be able to operate on and under the surface of the ocean. Our ÒSubmaranÓ vessel gives our customers the ability sense and observe the oceans both on the surface and beneath the surfaceÑfor months at time.Ó On the surface, the Submaran uses wind propulsion with auxiliary electric motors, giving it a speed of up to 6 knots. Underwater it becomes a buoyancy changing glider with a jet drive. Our small maritime robot will be able to autonomously operate at sea for six to nine months initially, both on the sur- face and down to 200m. It can easily be launched by two people from a variety of locations, such as a pier, ship and even an aircraft. What we are doing is revolutionary,Ó says Patten. ÒIt has never been done before.Ó Patten says the SubmaranÕs unique capabilities will allow operators to get into and remain in areas of the oceans that would be extremely difÞ cult Ñif not impossibleÑ and cost prohibitive for manned vessels. ÒIn addition there is an aspect of what are doing that we will discover more capabilities for customers that we are unaware yet.Ó ÒRight now we are a developmental company. We will be transitioning Submaran in about 12 months. We will be of- fering a Submaran product for sale as well as the associated support services. In addition we will be offering a Òsystem as a serviceÓ for those organizations that do not want the capital investment but need to the data that we can gather with the vessel,Ó he says. Ocean Aero is all about Ocean Observation On the surface, the Submaran uses wind propulsion with auxiliary elec- tric motors, giving it a speed of up to 6 knots. Underwater it be- comes a buoyancy changing glider with a jet drive. October 201448 MTRMTR #8 (34-49).indd 48MTR #8 (34-49).indd 4810/10/2014 11:28:59 AM10/10/2014 11:28:59 AM