JASCO teams with Igloo Innovations
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JASCO’s OceanObserver will soon be flying high as a result of a new partnership with Igloo Innovations Inc. JASCO and Igloo have announced an agreement to integrate the OceanObserver underwater acoustic monitoring technology into Igloo’s SeaHawk line of robotic flying vehicles. These unique quadcopter drones can land on water, submerge themselves or a payload, and take-off again from the surface. With the integration of the OceanObserver electronics suite, the SeaHawk Chimera will become a powerful system for autonomous and real-time passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and oceanographic data collection.
“Our electronics will be the brains of the data collection system and Igloo will handle the vehicle design and flight controls” says JASCO’s CEO Scott Carr, who hopes to have a prototype ready by October to showcase at a 2019 Advanced Naval Technology Exercise taking place in Stennis, MS.
Taking advantage of the Chimera’s modular design, JASCO will supplement the vehicle with various acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, including omnidirectional and directional hydrophones, small linear or spatial arrays, CTDs, and others.
“Partnering with JASCO gives us the capability to deliver on several of the applications we have envisioned for the SeaHawk Chimera. We look forward to the opportunity to realize the value in a flying vehicle that can get wet and provide a platform to do real work,” says Igloo’s president, Jason Clark.
With remote piloting, the vehicle will be able fly to an observation site, land on the water surface, and deploy a sensor package with the onboard winch system. It will then transmit acoustic detections and other oceanographic measurements to shore in real time while also archiving the data to onboard storage memory for post-analysis after the return flight.
With real-time reporting of acoustic detections, this PAM drone will have applications for both defence (e.g. submarine detection) and conservation (e.g. as a marine mammal detection and warning system).
ABOUT IGLOO INNOVATIONS
Igloo Innovations, based in Port Moody, BC, is a product development and engineering services group known for their creative approach to new problems. Their team has an extensive background in developing technologies for high-profile clients. They have provided solutions from surface to seabed, including design, assembly, testing, and deployment for commercial and military applications.
www.iglooinnovates.com flyswimfly.com
ABOUT JASCO APPLIED SCIENCES
JASCO Applied Sciences is a world leader in acoustics and the science of underwater sound and its effects on marine life. From offices in Canada, the US, Europe, and Australia, we provide support for all stages of environmental reviews and assessments of underwater sound for the oil and gas, marine construction, energy, fisheries, and defence sectors. We design, develop, and manufacture state-of-the-art oceanographic data acquisition systems to meet project demands for quality, endurance, reliability, and performance.
www.jasco.com
