MTR100: Editor’s Choice - Five Stand-Outs

MTR’s roving correspondent Kira Coley was tasked to identify and deliver five innovative companies worthy of inclusion in the 10th Annual MTR100. 

Deep Trekker Inc
40 Melair Drive
Ayr, ON Canada
N0B 1E0
T: 519-342-3177
[email protected]
W: www.deeptrekker.com

Deep Trekker Inc.
Deep Trekker Inc. was founded in 2010 with a mission to bring a fully capable yet portable and accessible remotely operated vehicle to market. Over the last 5 years, Deep Trekkers ROVs have quickly been adopted around the world as the go to underwater observation tool. Based on clean-sheet, innovative engineering, Deep Trekker offers a new breed of submersibles. Deep Trekker products are used across the world for applications including aquaculture, commercial diving, salvage, military, oil & gas, marine survey, research and recreation.
As the World’s first fully Portable Vectored ROV, Deep Trekker’s DTX2 patented pitching system is combined with powerful vectored thrusters for unprecedented flexibility and movement in the water. Forward, reverse, up, down, and lateral movements are available in 360 degree vertical and horizontal planes using only 4 thrusters. Vertical movements are accomplished using the main thrusters instead of relying on substandard vertical thrusters, providing unmatched speed & maneuverability.  The DTX2 comes with many options for sophisticated add-ons such as single and multi-beam sonar, USBL positioning, Cutter Attachments, Cygnus Thickness Gauge, tether lengths up to 300 M. Intelligent features come as standard with the DTX2 ROV System, allowing users to work in higher currents and maintain stability.
Taking its cues from larger ROVs, the DTX2 brings all of the functionality required for difficult jobs, but without the usual complexity. Building on the proven DTG2 platform, Deep Trekker offers unparalleled ease of use and simplistic sophistication.
 

Schmidt Ocean Institute
555 Bryant Street, #374
Palo Alto, CA  94301
T: (650) 681-8460
E: [email protected]
W: www.schmidtocean.org
Founder/President: Eric Schmidt

Schmidt Ocean Institute
Established in 2009, the Schmidt Ocean Institute strives to advance the frontiers of ocean research and exploration through novel technologies, intelligent observation and analysis. The last year has seen their involvement in many ground-breaking projects, pushing the boundaries of innovation and marine research. Schmidt Ocean Institute approaches oceanographic research from the technological, operational, and informational perspectives.  The institute maintains and operates R/V Falkor as a technologically advanced scientific platform suitable to support multidisciplinary oceanographic research and technology development.  Collaborators get free access to R/V Falkor with her on-board research facilities and expert technical support in exchange for a commitment to openly share and communicate the outcomes of their research.
In March 2015, the Schmidt Ocean Institute worked with the University of Sydney, MIT, as well as other institutions on the “Coordinated Robotics” project, which was also featured in June 2015 issue. The goal was to expand techniques for efficiently coordinating deployments of multiple exploratory underwater vehicles by advancing algorithms and their autonomous capabilities. The success of the project has brought engineers even closer to leaving groups of vehicles untended for long periods for a variety of underwater observation and data collection missions.
The “Perth Canyon: First Deep Exploration” was another project based in one of Australia’s proposed national reserves. Despite being just 50 kilometers or so from Western Australia’s capital of Perth, the canyon’s deeper reaches remained poorly known and largely unexplored until 2015, when scientists from the University of Western Australia onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Research Vessel Falkor explored the region, along with a deep-diving remotely operated vehicle.

Xeos Technologies Inc.
Address: 36 Topple Drive,
Dartmouth, N.S.
B3B 1L6
T: 902-444-7650
E: [email protected]
W: www.xeostech.com

Xeos Technologies
With decades of manufacturing experience, Xeos Technologies have successfully designed market leading wireless telemetry products for use in the world’s harshest environments. Products range from deep sea alarm beacons to surface oil spill tracking systems to land based perimeter surveillance systems. Xeos is an Iridium Value Added Reseller and provides contract engineering services in addition to its standard product line. All these qualities have brought them success in their four divisions: Communications, Oceanographic Asset Recovery, Remote Monitoring and Security.
The Apollo is an independently powered, self-contained mooring beacon with the power of an ultra-bright LED Flasher combined with satellite communications. Users receive notification of the Apollo’s arrival at the surface from anywhere on earth via the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite communication system. This beacon provides unparalleled visibility, even in the worst conditions.
Apollo is fully submersible and has been rated to 11,000 m (36,089 ft) below sea level. In addition, the solid state surface sensor provides a measure of reliability unavailable in mechanical methods. The new APOLLO unit combines all the best features of Iridium communication beacons and LED Flashers, along with up to 10 years deployment on alkaline batteries.
With older style VHF beacons, a handheld “direction finder” would need to be used to locate equipment, sometimes in very harsh conditions. The APOLLO can receive a real-time GPS location from virtually anywhere and then relay the beacon’s current coordinates, allowing a quick recovery of equipment.
The Xeos APOLLO is a fundamental improvement over older technology and provides a single unit that will meet and exceed any requirements for depth, extended deployments, non-corrosive material construction, as well as the enhanced capabilities of a combination GPS/Iridium/LED flasher.

dotOcean Nautical
Innovations
Address: Pathoekeweg 9 B02
8000 Bruges
Belgium
T: +32 (0) 50 68 30 54
E: [email protected]
W: www.dotocean.eu

dotOcean Nautical Innovations
dotOcean develops pioneering measurement instruments for sediment profiling, sensor networks and data acquisition platforms for the maritime and offshore industry. Its unique product range is making its mark in the industry and they are quickly emerging as a market leader in sediment profiling technology. Today dotOcean offers a range of innovative measurement instruments and rapid development services. Their expanding range of products have applications in many areas including dredging, port and offshore construction and subsea pipeline installation.
The GraviProbe is a free fall impact instrument, analyzing the underwater sediment layers during intrusion. Under its own weight it accelerates and penetrates fluid and consolidated mud layers.
The rheological conditions of the soil layers are determining the probe’s dynamical behavior. The data acquired from on-board accelerometers, inclinometers and pressure sensors is feeding a model which determines the rheological parameters of the intruded medium (depth, undrained shear and viscosity).
As a result the GraviProbe is able to very accurately distinguish the depth of the fluid mud and consolidated mud layers, even in gaseous environments.
The high sensor data acquisition rates of up to 2kHz in combination with a low drag housing results in the highest quality profiles at drop rates over 7 m/s. Due to its light weight, the probe can be operated manually from a small vessel, platform or quay, limiting operational costs.
Additional products include the GraviProbe Rheology which provides tip resistance and shear strength and the GraviProbe Soil which has a conus extension to penetrate hard, stiff sediment layers.
 

Teledyne Bowtech Ltd.  
ABZ Business Park
International Avenue
Dyce, Aberdeen
AB21 0BH, UK
T: +44 (0)1224 772345
W: www.bowtech.co.uk

Teledyne Bowtech
Teledyne Bowtech specializes in the design, manufacture and supply of underwater vision systems, offering the industry an extensive range products including video inspection systems, underwater cameras and underwater LED lights. Teledyne Bowtechs’ products can be deployed at any ocean depth in harsh environments within the ROV AUV, Oil and Gas, defense, oceanographic, nuclear, leisure and marine science industries.
The Tech
The SURVEYOR-HD PRO ultra-wide angle underwater HDTV camera is designed to provide the viewer a greater angle of view, from the standard Surveyor HD, whilst remaining compact and very competitively priced. The camera is ideal for ROV inspection tasks, scientific observation and broadcast applications. Video output is available as HD or HD-SDI over fiber.
This camera sits at the top of their product range and has recently been used by Curtin University in partnership with the Western Australian Museum on an expedition to survey the wrecks of the HMAS Sydney and the HSK Kormoran.
The camera is available in a variety of control formats, including the Bowtech Products GUI, which facilitates the control of all features including white balance, auto tracking and back light compensation, which can be switched on or off using the GUI.
Excellent images are obtained, through the fused quartz hemisphere window and the camera is ideal for overall scenes and close-up inspection while using a remote control setup. The optics are also fully corrected for radial lens distortion and chromatic aberration. The camera is housed within a 4,000m rated titanium housing, as well as a 6,000m option with a fused quartz hemisphere window.

The MTR100 is Marine Technology Reporter's Annual report on 100 leading companies in the subsea industry, published in the July/August 2015 edition of MTR - http://www.marinetechnologynews.com/Magazine