Unmanned Systems Technology 025 | iXblue DriX I Maintenance I UGVs I IDEX 2019 I Planck Aero Shearwater I Sky Power hybrid system I Delph Dynamics RH4 I GCSs I StreetDrone Twizy I Oceanology Americas 2019

97 Oceanology International Americas 2019 | Show report could be caused by batteries off-gassing, particularly when using lithium batteries, or it could be from heat-generated pressure or even water ingress.” The valves work on a pressure differential and are generally set to crack at about 10 psi above the ambient external pressure. “We offer these valves in both single- and dual-poppet configurations; the dual- poppet version offers extra redundancy,” Ashley added. The updated PRV can be coupled with Prevco’s vacuum port adapter (VPA) to allow for a simpler and more efficient method of vacuum leak testing and nitrogen backfilling. The VPA has a thumbscrew that interfaces with the head of the poppet, to lift the poppet during operations and re-seat it when finished, to prevent loss of vacuum or nitrogen pressure. Both valves are now available in Tiodized and non-Tiodized versions – this being a technique for anodising titanium to give it an anti-galling and wear-resistant coating. It is electrically semi-conductive and helps to isolate the titanium and prevent reactions between dissimilar metals. USV manufacturer XOcean is developing autonomous swarming technologies in order to fulfil a e 200,000 contract from Marine Institute Ireland, for the development of next-generation fishery surveys. The surveys will rely on a swarm of XOcean’s XO-450 USVs (detailed in UST issue 22). The future swarming capabilities will include several technical objectives to be achieved by XOcean and its USVs. Multiple vessels will need to be controlled in a coordinated fashion, retaining a swarm formation across different environmental conditions, and will include investigating the viability of machine-to-machine comms as a method for this integration. Accordingly, the autopilots will need to enable the safe, simultaneous operation of several vessels by a single operator. Also, the movements of fish schools will have to be autonomously detected and tracked, and the behaviour of the unmanned swarm will have to change in response to these movements. The project is expected to demonstrate advances in the spatial and temporal resolution of fish survey data over the two years of its duration. Live testing of the interim objectives are due to be carried out after the first year. Novacavi attended the show to introduce into the US market its range of subsea cables for demanding environments. “We offer cables for ROVs and underwater robots, fibre-hybrid cables, umbilicals, armoured cables and subsea instrumentation cables in any conceivable configuration,” said Francesca Faverio. The company offers a range of different materials for its cables. The core material can be single- or multi-mode optical fibre, or metals such as aluminium, tinned copper or silver copper. Insulation materials offered include polyurethane, silicone rubber and polyethylene in a range of densities. Additional armouring is available using Kevlar, Dyneema or Vectran. Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2019 Marine Institute Ireland plans to use the XOcean XO-450s for fishery surveys Subsea cables from Novacavi