Introduction
The widespread oceans, the underwater world is almost entirely unexplored although 70 percent of world’s surface is underwater. Some solutions could make a massive difference to marine survey & research. Inventions of underwater robots have changed the scenario. By using many low-cost underwater robots, we can intelligently discover the hidden depths more easily now than ever before. Let’s introduce, Andrew Durrant, Founder of PicSea which surely change the scenario now. PicSea is a small autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with a big mission on its shoulders.
In this article, let’s understand the know-how of PicSea.
Who is Andrew Durrant?
Well, Andrew Durrant is the founder of PicSea. A few years back, Durrant came up with an idea of producing small, low-cost robots that could not only enter the unexplored areas but also open the technology for those who could never access it before.
He was a researcher at CSIRO and was experiencing the working habitat of their AUV. The CSIRO was already working on a low-cost AUV, and this clicked an idea to Durrant of going even further. He then makes an AUV that was even more low-cost and more usable.
He then started working at the University of Sydney in designing, maintaining, and deploying underwater robots and producing data for customers. Durrant was then able to determine things that make data processing difficult and expensive to collect underwater data. Gaining knowledge from these experiences, almost after a decade, he now has a solution as PicSea.
Durrant’s Experiences
After gaining sound experience in underwater robotics, photogrammetry, imaging, data processing and logistics, Durrant build PicSea. It was an innovative design concept of an underwater robot that collects data at a fraction of the cost of other AUVs. With PicSea, Durrant aspires to make underwater data more accessible to those who lack access to advanced technological resources.
Introduction of PicSea in AUV technology is certainly a groundbreaking concept that has dramatically minimized the cost and complexity of creating an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
Presenting PicSea
PicSea is one of the most excellent innovations in Marine technology. Durrant kept a simple idea on creating PicSea; it increases ocean exploration and access to the technology by significantly reducing the data collection cost and risk.
“When many of these latest low-cost PicSea robots deployed in huge numbers underwater can intelligently communicate with each other and complete tasks such as seafloor surveys,” explained by Durrant.
Working of PicSea
PicSea is nothing but small robots that play their role in the future of ocean exploration. The existing micro-AUVs are mainly designed for water column sampling. Whereas, PicSea focuses on seabed mapping. It is having a very different design as well as a unique way to navigate.
PicSea’s are briefcase size robots that can work on their own or in coordinated groups without the need of constant monitoring. They are pre-loaded with cameras for photogrammetry, laser scanners and scan sonar’s as well as oceanographic sensors. The users of PicSea will have several deployment options including from a ship, airplane, helicopters, aerial drones as well as an unmanned surface vessel (USV).
Using PicSea, the inspection tasks such as pipeline, seafloor asset can surely accomplish with higher accuracy, faster and at a little cost.
Right Time For Ocean-Startups
The recent boom in underwater robotics is making a wave in the present scenario. It is seen that the industry is embracing the small innovative start-ups and are taking advantages of the latest trends in underwater robotics. The companies are ready to embrace the onset era of ocean autonomy as well as are eager to engage with start-ups like PicSea. On another hand, the companies are also prepared to see what new services they can provide to the industry. While more and more companies are joining in the loop with some novel technologies and creative ideas, the independent, autonomous start-ups are still in need of support from the industry in the form of small grants.
Durrant says, ” My dream for PicSea is to create Google Maps underwater, and I’m looking forward to the day when we have a better understanding of the underwater world and how to use their resources sustainably.”
Conclusion
The start-ups are boosting the Marine technology intelligently. The underwater world can surely explore and understand more easily using the creative innovations. Also, the marine resources can be used at its best. Thus, encouraging the innovations like PicSea will undoubtedly help the community to flourish.
Source: https://blog.nibt.education/2018/03/picsea-ocean-autonomy/
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