Robotics and the

Ocean Century

James Bellingham

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Sea Squirt: 1989, few

kilometers endurance with

minimal physical sensors Tethys: today, Over 1800 km

endurance carrying molecular probe

detection system

Marine Robotics

Robots for Everyone!!(and by everyone)

Powering Systems at Sea

Ecosystem of Robotics Enterprises

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Successful

startups bread

more startups.

Square RobotRip Tide

Dive Technologies

1366 Technologies

..and more

Images courtesy Jonathan Trent, Algea:OMEGA

Emerging Ocean Industries

From the bench to the ocean….

Marine Robotics startups usually do not have expertise in making complex systems work in the ocean

Testing challenge greatly under estimated

Over promise to investors

Learn lessons in most expensive place – the ocean

…and exit early.

…or go under

Accelerating Transition

Facilities for Marine Robotics

Ocean Sciences Evolving…

Technology revolutionizing ocean access

Societal drivers changing: Climate science politicized but urgent Military simultaneously captive to expensive

systems and desperate for new capability New ocean industries emerging

Transition from Lab to Application increasingly identified as ‘the bottleneck’

Sea going capabilities commoditized E.g. search for AF447 vs MH370

Balance between ship science vs non-ship

Oceanographic value proposionchanging….

Navy Impact

Navy Impact