Oceaneering Press Release | Revolutionize Your Operational Efficiency with Our Innovative Remote Piloting and Automated Control Technology

Revolutionize Your Operational Efficiency with Our Innovative Remote Piloting and Automated Control Technology

October 22, 2015 – Houston, Texas – In October 2015, Oceaneering demonstrated two new technologies in the Gulf of Mexico that will greatly increase remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operational efficiency and reduce costs for its customers.

During the demonstration, the NEXXUS ROV on the Oceaneering Olympic Intervention IV vessel was successfully piloted via a satellite link from an Oceaneering onshore base. The innovative data/video communications technology that enables this capability was originally developed to aid in diagnosing faults offshore by technical support personnel onshore. The technology has now been further developed to include the ability to remotely pilot the ROV.  

With remote piloting, an infield high bandwidth wireless or satellite link is used so that an ROV can be piloted on an offshore vessel from another remote location. Subject matter experts or other pilots can be linked-in in the event of highly complex processes or technical procedures that require special knowledge. Remote connection technology allows the use of multiple virtual connection technologies and potentially creates cost savings opportunities such as reduction and/or elimination of second shift crewing for low intensity operations.

The demonstration also included an essentially hands-free operation method of piloting, whereby the pilot was able to “fly” the ROV with a command-based system involving automated steps, instead of using the traditional joystick. Using video machine vision technology, the video processing software analyzes video and sends the ROV control system positioning data from the video to control the thrusters and move the ROV. Operators will now be able to use this technology to automate the ROV flight and perform tooling tasks faster and safer, thereby improving productivity and reducing the chance of downtime.

“Computer-aided piloting is much more efficient than a human pilot can achieve unaided, which in turn reduces the potential damage to tooling, manipulators, and most importantly, the customer’s subsea assets. This new ROV capability revolutionizes efficiency in the deployment of tools and navigation from point to point,” said Kevin Kerins, Senior Vice President, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV).

While both technologies were used at the same time during the demonstration, either technology can be used independently. However, pre-programmed automated step piloting eliminates latency problems associated with operating over a satellite link.

For more information, please visit https://www.oceaneering.com/rov-services/rov-technology/#rpact.

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Articles To solve the unsolvable, Oceaneering seeks out the utmost experts in their respective fields. We provide engineered services and products primarily to the offshore energy industry. Today, we also use applied technology expertise to serve the defense, entertainment, material handling, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries. With a varied and diverse pool of expertise, Oceaneering strives to be the go-to thoughtleader in our wide-ranging on- and offshore service lines. We thrive by creating industry-changing technically creative solutions for the most complex operational challenges under water, on land, and in space. Our experts are sought out for their knowledge and experience, to shed light on the latest innovative technology and trends within the wide-ranging industries we serve. Our experts are able to speak to these subjects because they are out in the field, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients and associated contractors. They work closely to devise solutions to problems that couldn’t be solved otherwise. We demonstrate our value every day, striving to complete projects on-time and on-budget. Our experts have penned thousands of words on topics related to remotely operated vehicles, subsea hardware, asset integrity, flow assurance, diving, survey and mapping, vessels, well intervention, workover control systems, pipeline repair, inspection, non-destructive testing, decommissioning, renewables, umbilicals, valves, marine services, product testing and qualification, data management, vessel navigation and positioning systems, science and other research, and space systems. Our articles section shines a spotlight on our best and brightest thoughtleaders offering history, data, case studies, and even opinions on industry trends and service techniques, so that we may open a dialogue with the rest of the industry, in order to see how we can all better ourselves and come up with the latest solutions and processes yet to be created. We partner with industry publications and other newsmakers to help tell our story and those of our clients because we aim to not only solve the unsolvable but demonstrate our value and expertise as a company, every single day. We do this work with much importance placed on safety, because safety is instilled in every worker, in every region in which we do business.

Company page Since our founding in the early 1960s, Oceaneering has expanded and grown globally to service several industries such as the offshore energy industry, defense, entertainment, material handling, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries. In 1964, Mike Hughes and Johnny Johnson formed a Gulf of Mexico diving company called World Wide Divers. The company grew in response to increasing demand for their services and in 1969 merged with two other diving companies to form Oceaneering International, Inc. To solve the toughest challenges, we do things differently, creatively, and smarter. As your trusted partner, our unmatched experience and truly innovative portfolio of technologies and solutions give us the flexibility to adapt and evolve, regardless of market conditions. Our mission is to solve the unsolvable. We thrive by creating industry-changing technically creative solutions for the most complex operational challenges under water, on land, and in space. Our five core values establish a common culture and demonstrate what is most important for us as a company. Since the beginning, the company has transformed from a small regional diving company into a global provider of engineered products and services. Today, we develop products and services for use throughout the lifecycle of an offshore oilfield, from drilling to decommissioning. We operate the world's premier fleet of work class ROVs. Additionally, we are a leader in offshore oilfield maintenance services, umbilicals, subsea hardware, and tooling. We also serve the aerospace, defense, and theme park industries. Underpinning everything we do, safety is not only the foundation of our core values, but it is vital to our unmatched performance record and company culture. The industries we serve are as diverse as they are complex. Whether we are engineering deepwater umbilicals or developing robotics for aerospace applications, the safety and health of our employees, vendors, and customers is an integral part of our day-to-day business. If we are working, then our responsibility is to be working safely. Since our inception in 1964, we have placed a high value on employee safety—from diving services and subsea inspection to vessel-based installation operations. We have and will continue to evolve not only our health, safety, and environmental (HSE) processes, but those of the industries in which we work. Although we have been fatality-free since 1999, our HSE journey goes beyond statistics. As our portfolio of services has grown, we have continued to prioritize and advance our approach to HSE.