Page 12: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2015)

NEWSMAKERS

Sea Machines

Helping to usher in the age of the Autonomous Workboat

While the topic of unmanned vessels has sparked vigorous debate and grown vociferous skeptics in all four corners of the world, Michael Gordon Johnson and his team at Sea Ma- chines are intent on bringing an Autonomous Workboat to full-scale real-world trials by the end of the year.

By Greg Trauthwein

Michael Gordon Johnson is and en- future of marine operations and the 20- a 20 ft. aluminum offshore unmanned While the target markets for an auton- trepreneur, founding two companies year transition towards full adoption of work boat that will be ready to perform omous vessel that can work ef? ciently and serving in various roles – offshore, unmanned vessels for certain markets is collaborative operations such as dual are many – think surveying, dredging, heavy lift ocean transport and marine just about to commence.” towing with a manned boat as found in and oil spill skimming, to name just salvage – since graduating from Texas Today, Sea Machines is nearing com- oil boom skimming or ? sh seining, ma- three – Johnson said “any market that

A&M University with a BA in Marine pletion of its 24 ft. prototype steel work rine mammal escort monitoring or su- utilizes small work boats in performing

Engineering. Most recently he was a VP boat, with the intent of having it on the pervised domain grid-line operations for repetitive tasks where care of the crew of Business at Titan Salvage and a VP of water in the Autumn of 2015. bathymetric surveying. actually reduces ef? ciency and adds li-

Projects at Crowley. Sea Machine V1 is a small work boat ability”

His new venture is Sea Machines, a The Age of Autonomy with 500 gallon (or LNG equivalent) of While the concept of autonomy has its company created to design and provide “The traditionally crewed boat has diesel tankage. It will feature a diesel fair share of skeptics, Johnson and his unmanned work boats and autonomous certain limitations and a Sea Machine hybrid system to provide a duration of team believe the time is now, as tech- control systems for the commercial ma- combines a sound hull form with modern up to 7-21 days continuous operation de- nology has emerged to make the Sea rine and offshore markets. “The idea was sensors and control systems and can per- pending on the required effort and load- Machine a reality on the working water- conceived like a puzzle over the last ? ve form long duration, repetitive, or dan- ing. front.

years, piece by piece as I managed and gerous work boat tasks more ef? ciently “The Sea Machine will also be ready “It’s the combination of smaller more executed various marine projects,” said and more safely than a manned vessel,” to be used as direct remote control op- powerful and reliable computers and

Johnson. “Once the concept came to- summarized Johnson. eration for unique tasks such as marine sensors combined with the advances in gether, I quickly realized that this is the Version 1 (V1) Sea Machine will be ? re-? ghting.” control theory and growth of the ? eld.” 12 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • AUGUST 2015

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