CONTRACT TO BUILD SIGNED BY UTAS FOR AUSTRALIA’S FIRST ISE EXPLORER AUV

15.09.2016
Port Coquitlam, BC – International Submarine Engineering Ltd is pleased to announce the signing of a Contract to Build a 5000 Meter Depth Explorer class Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) Antarctic Gateway Partnership project.


Photo: One of NRCan’s Explorer AUVs is pictured here in the Arctic during surveys performed in 2010. (Courtesy of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan))

This Explorer will be ISE’s fourth under-ice capable AUV that builds on the success of Theseus and the two Arctic Explorer vehicles owned and operated by Natural Resources Canada.

This Explorer is destined for the Australian Maritime College, a specialist institute of UTAS, and will be used by the Antarctic Gateway Partnership (AGP), an Australian Government funded initiative to build further polar research capability in Tasmania.

AGP Theme 4 (Marine Technology and Polar Environments) Leader and AMC Principal, Professor Neil Bose, said this Explorer will be utilized by a talented group of scientists and operators taking the under-ice capable vehicle into unexplored environments. Explorer’s variable ballast system will facilitate unique science operations such as sediment and ice sampling. This will be a novel use for Explorer’s variable ballast system which has been utitilized previously on Explorer and Theseus AUVs to facilitate parking and cable laying.

“ISE’s extensive experience with international oceanographic research has prepared us to respond to advanced operational requirements brought forth by our end-use customers”, says James A.R. McFarlane Executive Vice-President, ISE.

This Explorer AUV will be equipped with an EdgeTech 2205 sonar which incorporates side scan, sub bottom and bathymetric capabilities in one compact package. Explorer’s modular design and unmatched dry payload volume provides opportunity for the AUV with room to grow, allowing UTAS researchers to adapt to the surprises that are inevitable when exploring never before seen areas of the ocean floor. New sensors and payloads can be integrated quickly and easily to adapt to new discoveries.


Australian Maritime College (AMC)
The Australian Maritime College (AMC) is Australia’s National Institute for Maritime Education, Training and Research and is a specialist institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is one of the seven founding members of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), which represents five continents, and is known as a center of excellence for maritime teaching and research.

AMC’s multi-million dollar suite of advanced educational research facilities are internationally acclaimed and are utilized by government bodies and maritime-related businesses world-wide. AMC is currently establishing a world-class AUV facility, one of its kind within Australia, to house this Explorer alongside a fleet of similar vehicles.


Antarctic Gateway Partnership
The ARC’s Antarctic Gateway Partnership involves two University of Tasmania institutes—AMC and IMAS, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies—as well as CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division. The Partnership aims to reinforce Tasmania's recognition as a global leader in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science and as a gateway for Antarctic research, education, innovation and logistics.


International Submarine Engineering Ltd.
ISE was formed in 1974 to design and build underwater vehicles. Based just outside Vancouver, Canada, ISE has delivered 240 vehicles and over 400 robotic manipulators to more than 20 countries around the world.

The ISE family of vehicles includes AUVs, ROVs, submersibles, semi-submersibles, and active towfish. ISE also has extensive robotics capability and experience, having built subsea manipulator systems and land based robotic systems. These systems have been deployed in various applications ranging from remote intervention in hazardous environments, automated refueling and robotic manipulator training systems for space.

The Explorer family of AUVs was introduced in 2003 and follows previous ISE AUVs including ARCS and Theseus. Explorer is a modular vehicle that can be configured for commercial, scientific or military customers. It can carry a wide range of sensors and has endurance options ranging from 12 to 85 hours. It has developed a reputation as a reliable, stable and flexible sensor platform and in total, ISE AUVs have completed more than 120,000 kilometres of surveys.

Location: Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada









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