A Rising Tide in the Marine Robotics Space

The theme this year is, A Rising Tide in the marine robotics space. The two-day forum takes place July 17-18, 2019 in the heart of Woods Hole, MA. The marine robotics industry is growing, new companies are being created weekly and investors are waking to the opportunities in the ocean domain.

Technology created in diverse markets such as additive manufacturing, autonomous cars, and consumer robotics is being deployed to change how we design, build and use robots. The growth in the marine sector is tied to increasing human activity in the ocean. Robotic technologies and techniques are going mainstream in science, defense, and industry. The Forum in July will help frame the challenges facing the industry and offer a road map to accelerate progress.

Day one, Wednesday July 17, is a full day forum at the Clark Building on the WHOI Quisset Campus. There is an impressive line-up of speakers, including; James Bellingham of the CMR, Robert Orr of Cuna Del Mar; Beth Treseder of Orsted, and Paul Dobbins of World Wildlife Fund. The complete list is available here.

Thought leaders will provide keynotes, followed by a series of 5-minute pitches by new companies. Networking will ensue immediately following at a rooftop reception overlooking Vineyard Sound.

The second day will feature the annual Technology Showcase and the In -Water equipment demonstrations at the bustling Islin Dock facility. Added this year are “Short Wave” talks under the tent with a focus on new applications for AUV technology. “Working together we can create a rising tide of ocean innovation to understand and wisely use the ocean”, stated James Bellingham, director of the CMR.

Included in the growing list of companies that will put gear in the water and exhibit include:

In-Water Demos

1. Aquabotix
2. Boston Engineering (Tentative)
3. Goudey/TendOcean
4. L3T-Ocean Server
5. Sea Machines (Tentative)
6. Teledyne
7. WHOI Jeff Kaeli, Assymetric Thruster
8. WHOI Jetyak/Peter Traykovski

Exhibitors

1. Seatrac
2. Suburban Marine
3. SB Highland Ventures
4. Teledyne
5. WHOI CMR / DistruptorWorks
6. WHOI Orpheus/Pathways to Ocean Worlds/Casey Machado
7. WHOI JetYak/Peter Traykovski
8. WHOI Mesobot/Ocean Twilight Zone/Dana Yoerger

Both days offer a dynamic view into what’s hot in the AUV, Blue Economy and marine operations space. Registration is required.

Statement about WHOI CMR: Since 2014, the Center for Marine Robotics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has built on WHOI’s pioneering work creating teleoperated and autonomous marine vehicles. By partnering with industry, government and academia, CMR aims to create new robotic technologies and apply them to great science challenges; foster a thriving marine robotics industry, and transform laboratory innovations into operational systems and capabilities. CMR is a Member-Based organization and offers several ecosystem-level events each year to open the ocean to humans in new ways. Recent advances in robotics are improving efficiency, lowering costs, and reducing the risks of marine operations. For more information, click here.