Page 49: of Marine Technology Magazine (October 2017)

Underwater Drones Join the burgeoning business of

Exploration Cruising

Norway-based Hurtigruten is a leader in the niche ex- these intriguing waters accessible to guests on board. ploration cruise market, in part for its capacity to enter- Blueye’s Pioneer drones will share video and images of tain travelers in fresh new ways such as virtual parachute each guest’s underwater adventure, as Blueeye and Hur- descents and indoor snow, among many others. Now the tigruten implore travelers to take exploring into their own company which sails to some of the most remote Arctic hands, with all relevant content being stored and made and Antarctica destinations is set to roll out another offer- available to scientists.

ing: underwater drones capable of exploring cold water Earlier this year, representatives from Blueye Robotics locales. set out aboard Hurtigruten expedition ship MS Fram for

Through a partnership with Blueye Robotics, Hurti- a test run along the coast of Norway. During the voyage, gruten will offer underwater vehicles for use on board the Blueye team and Hurtigruten crew members were two of its new hybrid-powered cruise ships, MS Roald able to explore seldom seen underwater scenery at loca-

Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen. The vessels are be- tions such as Vega, Træna and Stamsund, and as far north ing built the Kleven Yard in Norway for delivery in 2018 as Tromsø. The captain of the ship even joined the Blueye and 2019. team as they used the Pioneer to inspect the vessel’s hull.

According to Hurtigruten, the collaboration with Blue- The Blueye Pioneer will be available for purchase from eye Robotics aims to make the mysterious realm of 2018, with pricing starting at $3,550.

Blueye Pioneer • Hull design: Hydrodynamic and hydrobalanced hull for stability and performance in ocean condi- tions. Engineering plastic and rubber protections that withstand impact • Pressure rating: 150 m • Weight: Less than 8 kg • Speed: At least 2 m/s (4 knots) • Run-time: At least 2 hrs normal operation • Thrusters: 4 x 350 W; plus 2 rear, 1 vertical cen- ter, 1 lateral • Automation: Auto heading, auto depth • Camera: Full HD 1080p/30fps, wide angle lens • Search Light: Powerful LED below camera, with ? ttings for extra lights as payload • Sensors: Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with 3-axis gyro and 3-axis accelerometer; depth sen- sor; magnetometer; temperature (inside and out- side) • Payload: Standard ? ttings for payload on both top and bottom side of drone • Software: Remote update of drone software • Wireless transmitter: WiFi router for wireless connection to smartphones or tablets; multiple smartphones may connect for a shared live experi- ence • Wireless range: At least 30 m • Cable length: 75 m • Wireless drone controller for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets • Blueye App for android/iOS smartphone/tablet • Quick charger for charging drone, WSU and drone controller www.marinetechnologynews.com

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