Next generation ROV simulators announced

Marine Simulation LLC announced today the release of ROVsim2 O&G and ROVsim2 Pro – their new family of next generation undersea robotics training simulator systems. ROVsim2 reflects an important step in the development of 3D simulation and integrates a number of important new features and enhancements, including:

• Five new Oil and Gas missions, including two new anchor and suction piling support missions that can be used independently of or fully integrated with Marine Simulation’s vSHIP ship simulator.
• Four new Search and Recovery missions, including an airliner “black box” recorder recovery mission modeled after the recent Air France recovery effort.
• A variety of new ROV tools, including 7, 5, and 3 function manipulators, cathodic potential (Cp) probe, ultrasonic thickness probe and laser measuring devices.
• Full serial communications (RS 232, RS422, etc) support so the simulator software can be integrated into custom control consoles and send data to external devices such as chart plotters and instrument displays.
• Extended support for Windows 7 64 bit operating systems enabling even larger and more complex mission areas than before.

Since its initial launch in 2006, ROVsim has become one of the most popular ROV training simulator systems on the market today. ROVsim and vSHIP simulators are being used world wide and are currently in use in over 60 training facilities and schools in 20 countries. ROVsim2 is expected to be available for delivery later this year.

vSHIP - New ship simulator for the offshore industry

Marine Simulation is pleased to announce the release of their latest product. vSHIP is specifically designed to train and prepare ship-board personnel for the ever growing roles and responsibilities they face in support of the offshore industry. Flexible scalability, unmatched visual realism, and compliance to a wide range of industry standard interfaces are all integral to the simulator's design.

Available as a desktop PC based simulator, vSHIP can interface with marine electronics and navigation software via industry standard interfaces, as well as with other vSHIP and ROVsim Pro installations, providing a real world, coordinated operation simulation. Drawing on our experience in undersea simulation, vSHIP sets a new level of unmatched visual realism and advanced physics simulation. Potential training applications include: offshore mooring and support operations, coordinated bridge / ROV team operations, naval mine and ordnance sweeping and clearance, as well as complex mission rehearsal.

Marine Simulation LLC produces interactive, computer-based simulations of surface and sub-surface craft for marine professionals. Using state of the art technologies and over 2 decades of hands on industry experience, our simulations deliver a level of visual and functional realism never before possible. Our simulators are being used world wide and are currently in use in over 50 training facilities and schools in 18 countries.

Brazilian ROV school chooses ROVsim

Nutecmar, of Santo São Paulo, Brazil, recently incorporated a ROVsim training simulator into their micro ROV training program. When asked about the ROVsim simulator, Managing Partner Eduardo Meurer had this to say, "The simulator is showing itself to be an incredible tool for students to get practice before piloting the real ROVs. It utilizes the same kind of controls as our Gnom ROVs plus the simulator reproduces more challenging situations very well". Nutecmar's week-long "Introduction to ROVs and Micro ROV Pilot" course consists of an introduction to ROV operations, background and theory, hands on flying in progressively more difficult situations and operating a virtual ROV in different environments and scenarios in the ROVsim simulator. Nutecmar is the Latin American distributor of GNOM ROV's which are manufactured by Indel-Partner Ltd. in Moscow, Russia. Nutecmar has plans to expand with additional classes for not only micro and mini class ROV operations, but also working class ROV's which they hope to start later this year.

Special Offer - Save up to 40%!

For the entire month of February, save up to 40% on the ROVsim Undersea Pilot Series Volumes One and Two. For more information visit our website or order your copy today at our on line store.

Marine Simulation LLC joins SeaBotix and Tritech for new Search and Rescue ROV

SARbotTM – Remotely Saving Lives

SeaBotix Inc. of San Diego, California in cooperation with industry leading companies Tritech International and Marine Simulation LLC have developed the first specially designed, rapid response underwater rescue system.

Until now remote operated technology has been used to recover drowning victims, not rescue. Improved medical studies have shown that a person experiencing near drowning in water up to 21ºC has the potential for rescue. If the victim can be rescued from the water within approximately 90 minutes there is a good chance that the residual oxygen in their body will keep them alive without permanent damage to their vital organs.

The problem has been locating and rescuing the victim in difficult conditions without furthering human risk. SeaBotix Inc. was approached by Derbyshire Fire & Rescue in the United Kingdom to develop a solution to the more than 700 drownings per year. The UK Fire & Rescue has the ability to be on location in response to an emergency in under 10 minutes, however, they are unable to work below the water.

SeaBotix worked closely with the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue to develop a new ROV rescue system that would operate in near zero visibility, in poor weather and strong currents, while being simple enough to operate by rescue personnel. The result is a modified LBV system with high definition Tritech Gemini 720i imaging sonar, limb grasping manipulator, video enhancement and a small diameter, low drag tether with a 100kg working load. In addition, the advanced SARbotTM rescue system includes a new high resolution StarFish 990F side scan sonar from Tritech International and a purpose built LBV training simulator by Marine Simulation LLC.

The total package offers rescue teams with large-area search capability and built-in training in a rapid-response rescue ROV. In field trials with the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue proved the ROV system can be setup and deployed in less than 3 minutes providing rescue personnel with time to locate the victim. The system was simplified to reduce technical aspects found in ROV systems requiring care or attention. This allows for rescue personnel to focus on rescue and not setup.

A typical scenario is one where a person has consumed alcohol late at night and decides the nearby water looks inviting. Upon entering the water the person is shocked by the coldness and inhales water. This process leads to filling of the lungs and drowning. Upon receiving a call, rescue personnel can set up and deploy at the last seen location of the drowning victim. Utilizing the Gemini 720i imaging sonar, the drowning victim is located and the rLBV is navigated to within grasping range. For conditions where visibility is near zero, external ultra bright LED lights and video enhancement are utilized. Upon locating the victim, the specially designed grasping jaws attach to an arm or leg and the rLBV be pulled back to the shore using it’s ultra strong tether. Once the rescued victim is to shore, the medical technicians can prepare for transport to a local hospital and ultimate revival.

The SARbotTM is an exciting new technology with tremendous potential for saving lives around the world. The patented and feature patent pending system is unlike anything currently available on the market.

Custom Marketing Version Featured At UI

Marine Simulation LLC recently developed a custom marketing version of ROVsim Undersea Pilot Series, Volume One for SeaBotix Inc. for use at Underwater Intervention 2010. This version of the simulator includes an updated Gen 2 vehicle as well as some of ROVsim's latest developments. SeaBotix plans to use the simulator, along side a real ROV in a water tank, to help demonstrate capabilities of their LBV200L model ROV. The simulator will be unveiled at SeaBotix's booth at UI.

About SeaBotix Inc.
SeaBotix Inc. is located in a purpose built manufacturing facility on the waterfront in San Diego, California where SeaBotix has an experienced team of engineers, production, service, sales and administrative personnel. Long time industry icon Donald Rodocker founded SeaBotix in 2001 with the goal of producing a compact/portable ROV with large ROV capability, at an affordable price. The LBV has proven to be the defining compact ROV in the world today.

For more information, visit SeaBotix at www.SeaBotix.com

New ROV Simulator for the Oil and Gas Industry Released

Marine Simulation LLC announced the release of ROVsim® O&G, their newest undersea simulator specifically designed for oil and gas industry inspection and working class Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Besides being their first offering in the working class ROV / oil and gas industry, ROVsim O&G includes a number of new features and capabilities never before offered by any simulator on the market today.

A complete ROVsim O&G simulator includes three separate software applications: the main ROV Simulator, a separate navigational SONAR Module, and an instructor's Control Module. The main ROV simulator encompasses a mission area of over 25 square kilometers (10 square miles) and includes a complete oil platform, 8 kilometers (4 miles) of submerged pipeline and a working drill ship. The ROV in this simulation is deployed by a Tether Management System (TMS) cage from a support ship, which are also simulated. The instructor not only has full control of the environment and casualties that the ROV is operating in, but also controls the surface support ship and deployment cage with an easy to use, graphics display. A great deal of research was invested in the development of the new SONAR Module, resulting in a new level of functionality and operational realism never before available.

Like their previous offerings, Marine Simulation LLC's ROVsim O&G also includes a Custom Mission Designer which allows the user to build their own mission environments from either the selection of included models or import models from a variety of sources, thus providing a nearly unlimited number of missions for the user to explore. All ROVsim simulators are designed to operate on low-cost personal computers and are compatible with “off the shelf” components. ROVsim O&G is available for Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 operating systems.

Marine Simulation LLC, based in North Carolina, USA, produces interactive, computer-based simulations of surface and sub-surface craft for marine professionals. Their background includes nearly 30 years experience in undersea research, maritime operations and software development. Marine Simulation LLC is the developer of the ROVsim line of undersea simulators which are currently used in 14 countries worldwide and by over 50 training and educational institutions. Visit Marine Simulation LLC online at www.marinesimulation.com.