The suggestion that we know more about the lunar surface than what lies beneath our oceans is something of a cliché these days. It is also somewhat of an unfair assertion. Throughout history, civilizations have gazed upon the moon in wonderment and curiosity, mesmerized by its phases and cratered appearance.
With today’s geo-political conflicts developing on a worldwide scale necessitating the need for timely and accurate information by decision makers, the requirement for maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) has never been greater. Maritime ISR by itself is difficult due to the vast distances, dispersed activities and limited high-bandwidth communications involved.
As readers of ON&T know, it is the oceans that sustain the planet. A number of streams, most notably accelerating climate change, have come together in 2021. Collectively, they highlight the continuing importance of comprehensive ocean observation and making data-driven decisions based on these observations.
For centuries, ocean exploration was besieged by the legend of the Kraken, a merciless creature from the deep with an insatiable appetite for intrepid North Atlantic seafarers. In both lore and literature, the fabled sea monster would rise from the abyss to claim its bounty before retreating to its lair, a murky habitat found only at unfathomable depths.
THURN Group is a UK-based manufacturer that specializes in technology development, integration, and the sales and service of highly engineered systems for the seabed and inland waterway survey industries.
Tony Mulligan started his small company in 2002. Thanks to investments from the Navy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, Advanced Ceramic Research (ACR) developed unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), such as the Silver Fox, that were eventually deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In recent decades, marine robotics has proven to be the key enabling technology in the execution of increasingly complex at-sea missions. One clear manifestation of this is the ascendency of Autonomous Surface Vehicles, or ASVs.
Ocean News & Technology
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