Underwater Vehicles: Hitchin’ a Ride

Vehicles. Front to back, top to bottom, this edition revolves around unmanned underwater vehicles, the means and method which allow many of you to work, study and evolve in the underwater world. In this edition we offer fresh perspective from a broad swath of stakeholders that are directly involved in the evolution of UUVs, from those who conceive and create them, to those that use them and continually push the operational envelope of capability.
I am thrilled to welcome Kira Coley as a new and regular contributor to our pages, print and electronic. This month Kira was tasked to report on one of the most interesting and challenging areas of subsea exploration: the use of AUVs in and around Polar Science. Her story starts on page 26.
Speaking of Polar Science and the Arctic, we present here a 13-page special section on the companies, the organizations, the scientists and the “Arctic Experts” from what many consider to be the gateway to the Arctic, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.
I have a long and strong relationship and affinity for the professionals from Newfoundland & Labrador. Not only are they some of the most hospitable people on the planet, they consistently are forthcoming and available to discuss in detail their various endeavors in the name of science, commerce and defense. The section starts out on page 34 with the feature “The Path to the Arctic.”
Finally, a sincere thanks to the executives in the AUV and ROV sectors that took the time to participate in the AUV (p. 14) and ROV (p. 48) “Roundtable” discussions. As nearly everyone in this business is ‘global and mobile,’ it becomes increasingly difficult to gather leaders together in a meaningful way to discuss the burning topics of the day. Our visit with this cumulative leadership group, I hope, delivers to you some fresh insight on the pace, direction and developments coming soon in the subsea vehicle market.

(As published in the January/February 2015 edition of Marine Technology Reporter - http://www.marinetechnologynews.com/Magazine)