Page 49: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2021)

“The platform that we u use is the Spotter pllatform, which is a solar powered, s satellite connected, , m metocean buoy.” erything we build becomes more valuable. For example, com- ally doesn’t like that very much. (But to answer your ques- munication standardization speci? cally designed for marine tion): communications have traditionally been very expensive connectivity so the integration of components into platforms, through monopolies in satellite communications, and that’s (such as) our Spotter platform, helps the entire industry inno- changing rapidly. Power. Advances in battery technology vate faster and more ef? ciently. and solar capture has made it possible for us to build a low

The other part of it is focused insight. (An example of this cost completely autonomous system that can stay out in the is) Way? nder, our maritime shipping route optimization ca- ocean forever and provide useful information. More generally, pability, driven and powered by the fact that we have all this advances in IOT technology, the ability to build something additional and unique information across the ocean. extremely low cost that is as capable as maybe your home computer was 20 years ago.

When you look at the market today, which technolo- Other things like material sciences, are also obviously im- gies do you could believe could be the most transfor- portant. But the point being is that it’s not a single innovation mational to help gather and deliver better ocean infor- that makes it possible to do what we do today, and I don’t ex- mation faster and cheaper? pect it to be a single innovation that’s going to basically, fun- ‘Cheap’ is a means to an end; it’s really scale that matters. damentally change what we’re going to be doing in the future.

The capabilities that we have developed to date were enabled I think one of the things that has been missing is standardiza- by advances across multiple technologies. The challenges tion. Nobody else was doing it, (so) we ? gured we have to do that you have in collecting ocean data; one, it’s the ocean, so that. I see (radical standardization) as the single most impor- it has salt water and storms and anything electronic gener- tant advancement in the industry.

www.marinetechnologynews.com 49

MTR #8 (34-49).indd 49 11/24/2021 9:15:33 AM