Innovation

AUV Ran back in Sweden: Join the collaboration, tests and operations in 2021!

AUV, Demo, Hugin, Innovation, Platform, Ran, Sweden / January 7, 2021 January 7, 2021

In 2019 SCOOT’s flagrobot AUV Ran became first to conquer the depths under the ‘doomsday’ Thwaites Glacier. In 2020 Ran’s greatest achievement was the mapping of subsea landslides in the 2000 metres deep Kaikōura Canyon off New Zeeland (read news at NIWA and see their nice Ran pop video below!).

Now Ran is back in Sweden, and as always SCOOT makes her available for entrepreneurs, innovators and SMEs. First out is a group of SMEs during an intense mission week in early February on the Swedish west coast.

Let us know if you want to join the collaboration/testing/operations, already in February and in the planned June session. We are not looking for AUV experts only. We are looking for anyone with ideas for utilising or collecting ocean data!

Ocean Data conference spurs collaboration!

Animal platforms, ASV, AUV, Breakfast, Data, Demo, Fishing vessels, Innovation, SeaExplorer, Ship of opprtunity, SP SeaCat, Tuna / October 22, 2020 October 22, 2020

September 29th at Nya Varvet and online

What a day… The conference Ocean Data for Ocean Health covered a lot of the themes SCOOT has been involved in the last two years. We hosted the event on September 29th at SCOOT’s space at Nya Varvet in Gothenburg, and we were happy to gather quite a number of old and new SCOOT people and partners.

The programme scratched on the surface of many urgent topics. SCOOT is committed to contribute to keeping up the momentum of this dynamic environment! (Just hosted breakfast meeting on sensors platforms of opportunity, see below.)

Especially intense for SCOOT was the final Block 4, demonstrating autonomous technology for collecting ocean data, see below.

Jessica just before start of conference.

From block 1, keynote by Robin teigland.

Keynote speaker Jannes Gimsbury, block 3.

Torsten talking to Robert Mertens, block 3.

Robots for ocean science, in the electronics workshop.

Olle shows and tells in the electronics workshop.

Olle explains how diving glider Seaexplorer works.

Seacat approaching Green Pilot, Robert stands by.

Ola explains data collection with Green Pilot.

Autonomous vehicles

VOTO‘s research coordinator Louise Biddle and oceanographic technician Olle Petersson explain how gliders on and below the seasurface monitors the ocean.

Play Video

Next generation ocean observers!

Elsa and Jakob from the Science Club in Lysekil show their drifter Dynamene, built by Science Club and deployed in the morning, retrieving data live!

Play Video

Experimental platforms

Ola Benderius from Chalmers Revere lab and Robert Rylander from RISE Maritime research demontrate how knowledge from the automotive industry can be applied in the maritime domain. (Special appearance by flying drone from MMT Swden AB…)

Play Video

October 21st, breakfast webinar on tuna and fishing vessels

We were 6 persons having our morning coffee at Nya Varvet and another 6 joining the video meeting. Picking up from Sept 29th, we talked at some length about opportunities (and challenges) around data from tagged animals and from sensors mounted on fishing gear/vessels. Take home messages:

These data have huge potential to fill serious gaps in existing ocean monitoring programmes, where other and autonomous methods struggle. These gaps include shelf and coastal seas and marginal ice zones.
The cost-benefit relation is very good!
The infrastructure for collecting and distributing these data is rapidly expanding and maturing.
Challenges include subsurface communication and integration into existing monitoring data flows.

Recording from the meeting.

Register now: Ocean Data for Ocean Health

Data, Data Factory, Demo, Innovation / September 17, 2020 September 17, 2020

SCOOT hosts conference about digital solutions for the ocean environment.

SCOOT proudly invites you to an online conference on the 29th of September, about sustainability and innovation in the blue economy. Registration has opened. We are very excited to host this event from our new sea-side space at Nya Varvet in Gothenburg. We will take the opportunity to show what SCOOT is about and how we see the future for ocean observations.

The programme mixes presentations by experts in AI, robotics, innovation and ocean data, with demonstrations of autonomous technology for observing the ocean. SCOOT’s flagrobot AUV Ran will be busy on the other side of the globe, doing work in New Zeeland. But we will show other exciting items, in the workshop and on the water! VOTO are keen to show the how their fleet of diving gliders works (successfully tested in extremely stratified Skagerak!), and rumour has it that MMT wants to use our autonomous Seacat as a platform for take off and landing for a flying drone. We also expect a visit by the next generation of ocean data collectors, from Gullmarsgymnasiet in Lysekil, where the students build their own sensors and platforms.

Recommendations regarding social distancing does not allow for any visitors inside. But but if you are in the vicinity of Gothenburg, take the chance to watch the live demo on site, and chat with technicians and pilots. Starting around 3.30 pm.

The conference is arranged in partnership with Maritime Cluster of West Sweden, Ocean Data Factory Sweden and Swedish Maritime Technology Forum.

Seacat during demo 2019, deploying Sailbuoy.

VOTO's robots piling up in the workshop...

Skeppet Ärans väg 3, Gothenburg. On Sept 29th visitors for outside demo only, otherwise please stop by!

Students at Gullmarsgymnasiet in their sensors workshop.

Research engineer from Moscow wins the Killer Shrimp Invasion Challenge!

Baltic Sea, Data, Data Factory, Innovation, Invasive specieses, Workshop / June 11, 2020 June 11, 2020

In March the Killer Shrimp Invasion Challenge was opened on Kaggle by Ocean Data Factory Sweden (coordinated by SCOOT): Use innovative machine learning (ML) solutions to predict the spread of the so-called “Killer Shrimp” (Dikerogammarus Villosus) into the Baltic Sea. The challenge is now closed , the referees have completed the evaluation and announced that the winner is…

Dimitriy, research engineer at IBRAE RAS in Moscow, Russia! Dimitriy nicked the winner’s place with a score of 0.99954 (out of a maximum possible 1) and by complying to all rules. Dimitry will be presenting his model in an open webinar on June 16th, see below:

The Benefits and Challenges of Open Innovation and Citizen Science for Solving Ocean Challenges through Applying ML to Ocean Data

Join us on June 16th for a Zoom discussion (Please register here):

15:30 to 15:40 Introduction to Ocean Data Factory Sweden and afternoon discussion
15:40 to 16:10 The Killer Shrimp Invasion Challenge on Kaggle: An online competition tackling the spread of invasive marine species through machine learning
16:10 to 16.20 Break
16.20 to 16.50 The Koster Seafloor Observatory on Zooniverse (still open to join!): Using citizen science and machine learning to annotate subsea imagery
16.50 to 17.00 Concluding remarks

Join the Killer Shrimp Invasion Challenge!

Baltic Sea, Data, Data Factory, Innovation, Invasive specieses / March 9, 2020 April 7, 2020

Ocean Data Factory Sweden (coordinated by SCOOT) releases an open challenge: Use innovative machine learning (ML) solutions to predict the spread of the so-called “Killer Shrimp” (Dikerogammarus Villosus) into the Baltic Sea. Join the Killer Shrimp Invasion Challenge online on Kaggle!

Are you

a data scientist interested in applying your knowledge to environmental challenges?
a marine scientist interested in using Machine Learning in your work?
generally passionate about the ocean and keen to learn more about Machine Learning and Marine Science?

Then this is the right challenge for you! The winner of this competition will be awarded a €150 prize, along with the opportunity to present their winning model at the next ODF Sweden Grand Meeting. The event will be in the beautiful city of Gothenburg in June 2020 (date tba).

ODF Sweden will deliver learning and support digitalization in marine environmental management

Data, Data Factory, Environmental management, Environmental monitoring, Innovation / August 23, 2019 April 7, 2020

ODF Sweden (coordinated by SCOOT) is now gaining pace! First innovation cycle, lasting to end of 2019, will focus environmental monitoring and management. We will deliver learning and support for digitalization in marine environmental management to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM). The collaboration between ODF Sweden and SwAM is a part of the ”Three Archipelagos” project. We are excited about this opportunity.

Are you interested in ODF Sweden? Do not hesitate to contact its director Robin Teigland or its coordinator Torsten Linders.

SCOOT goes all in

ASV, AUV, Demo, Hugin, Innovation, Ran, Sailbuoy, SB Kringla, Seaglider, SG Semla, SP SeaCat, SunChallenger, Workshop / July 1, 2019 July 13, 2019

Do you want to learn and test what/where/how autonomous platforms can measure in the ocean. Do you already have experience and want to meet other experts? This is the workshop for you! More info about available resources and schedule here.

SCOOT’s fleet of autonomous vessels and robots will be available, together with support vessels, technicians and experts. Specifically this includes SCOOT’s flagrobot, the AUV Ran. SCOOT is proud of the coverage Ran’s achievements has got in media, e.g. in Roling Stone, Public Radio International and Swedish public service television.

Our host for this workshop is Institute of Marine Research, belonging to Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

Please contact us if you interested in participating!

SCOOT welcomes SunChallenger II to Gothenburg

ASV, Demo, Innovation, SunChallenger, Workshop / June 17, 2019 June 18, 2019

Difficult winds will unfortunately mean that the SunChallenger II will not make to Gothenburg on June 19. Constructor Jonas Blanck will nevertheless be there and explain his project.

On Wednesday June 19, SCOOT will welcome the newly launched SunChallenger II to Gothenburg. SCOOT is an eager friend of the SunChallenger project. SCOOT director Seb Swart leads the welcoming committee, which includes representatives from GU, MMT Sweden AB, Chalmers University of Technology and Research Institutes of Sweden. Everybody is invited to join us! The event is hosted by MMT Sweden AB and takes place at Nya Varvet, starting in the marina at 9.30 am. After lunch we continue with a seminar/discussion about what to expect from projects and platforms such as the SunChallenger.

Specifications SunChallenger II: 16 ft Catamaran, 5x 300W glass-glass Solar panels, 2x MPPT solar chargers, 2x 500W electric trolling motors, 5x 12v 80Ah Lifepo4 batteries, 2x Raspberry Pi, 2x Jetson Nano, Dual GPS, Compass, PiCamera, 360° camera, 4G modem, AIS transponder, CHIRP DownVision Sonar & Fishfinder, water/air temperature, pH, Conductivity sensor, CO2 sensor, wind sensor, LED Lanterna, Horn, Flag.

National Research & Innovation Agenda for Underwater Technology

AUV, Environmental monitoring, Innovation / June 4, 2019 June 29, 2019

SCOOT is active in SubTechSweden, a network of actors who want to strengthen innovation in underwater technology in Sweden. SubTechSweden now releases NRIA-U 2019 (National Research & Innovation Agenda for Underwater Technology). The agenda has a very clear main recommendation: Sweden needs “a joint programme for underwater technology, funding and coordinating basic research, applied research and demonstrations (TRL 1 – 6)”. NRIA-U 2019 is an updated version of NRIA-U 2016.

SubTechSweden emphasises that the underwater innovation area can help to meet the UN sustainability goals, the Government’s Maritime Strategy and Sweden’s underwater capability (decided by the Government to be a “significant national security interest”). NRIA-U 2019 mentions specifically the need for underwater technology in ocean science, monitoring, spatial planning and management. The achievements of SCOOT’s flagrobot AUV Ran under the Antarctic ice shelves are mentioned as a good example of innovation, together with platforms for infrastructure inspection, illustrated with MMT’s Surveyor Interceptor.

SCOOT will coordinate Ocean Data Factory

Data, Data Factory, Innovation / May 29, 2019 July 30, 2019

What started in early March with a workshop on innovation through open data will on July 1st turn into a major SCOOT activity, the Ocean Data Factory – ODF. SCOOT takes on the coordinating role, working with a large consortium from the industry, academia and public sector organisations. ODF will be headed by professor Robin Teigland from Chalmers University of Technology.

ODF will be an arena for competence building and innovation, open to all who believe that crunching data from the ocean is 1) fun, 2) holds the answers to a sustainable blue economy and 3) gets really productive when different competences do it together! We will be conducting our activities in high paced cycles focusing on selected themes. First theme to be announced soon, stay tuned…

ODF is part of Vinnova’s (Sweden’s Innovation Agency) investment to speed up development within AI. We are delighted to see that also the National Space Data Lab will be initiated. Planning for joint co-creation has already started.

September 29th at Nya Varvet and online

Block 4: Demonstration of ocean robots

Autonomous vehicles

Next generation ocean observers!

Experimental platforms

October 21st, breakfast webinar on tuna and fishing vessels

The Benefits and Challenges of Open Innovation and Citizen Science for Solving Ocean Challenges through Applying ML to Ocean Data