Page 38: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2016)

(Photo: NOC)

A NOC glider mechanical engineer trims a glider in the saltwater ballast tank, one of the facilities avail- able in the new Marine Robotics Innovation Center at the National Oceanography Center.

The innovative companies based at the MRIC developing The MRIC technology for the next generation of autonomous and robot- The MRIC provides the NOC with additional resources and ics systems share specialist facilities with the NOC’s Marine capabilities for working collaboratively with innovative com-

Autonomous and Robotics Systems unit which has broad ex- panies that are developing technology for marine autonomous perience of marine autonomous platforms in highly challeng- systems. The Center encourages early-stage developments and ing environments, including extensive missions under ice and enables the growth of a cluster of autonomous systems com- in the depths of the Cayman Trough. panies able to answer international challenges. Speci? cally, it

One example of the NOC’s activity in marine autonomy aims to encourage and support development of technologies technology development is its Long Endurance Marine Un- and systems that create a step change in systems capability, manned Surface Vehicle competition, held in 2012, in which as well as to provide an exchange of ideas and information competitors were briefed to develop a USV with a 90-day en- to facilitate wider adoption of these systems. It supports col- durance capability and the ability to sprint if required at 10 laborative projects that respond to national and international knots over 100 nautical miles. As a direct result of holding challenges more effectively and ensures the effective use of the competition, ? ve $80,000 concept studies were awarded. public funding in speci? c research and development areas,

These were later down-selected to platforms designed by ASV and also supports the development and demonstration of new and MOST (AV) Ltd, each leading to the production of ve- technology via access to the additional research facilities and hicles that now compete in the global market. equipment available at the NOC. In addition, the MRIC pro-

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