TOPICAL CONFERENCE FOR UUVS
The second Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Showcase (UUVS 98), held 2-3 September 1998 at the Southampton Oceanography Centre, addressed all the subjects of topical importance to manufacturers and users of UUVs. With sessions on: an international view of UUVs from the defence perspective; Deep ROVs - 3000m and beyond; AUV Legal Issues; Fostering collaboration in UUVs; Sonar Systems for UUVs in offshore applications; Simulation; Power Sources; and AUVs in the ocean and on paper.
Gwyn Griffiths, Head, Ocean Technology Division, Southampton Oceanography Centre, and UUVS Conference Chairman, sets the scene. "Last year’s inaugural UUV Showcase was an outstanding success" he says. "With 421 attendees and more than 60 exhibitors the event achieved its aim of ‘stimulating dialogue between development teams and their potential customers in offshore industry, defence and science’. The 1998 Showcase had the same aim. The conference technical papers have all been specially solicited from leaders in the global UUV business. Clearly, from the attendance and the exhibitors, it’s a business that is growing and becoming more complex and transnational.
"While defence applications for UUVs may be well known within the sector - the opening session of UUVS 98 served to provide the non-specialist with an international perspective both of requirements and of progress with real vehicles. Energy capacity has been seen as a limiting factor from the early days of autonomous UUVs, but it is only recently that we have seen real AUV missions stretch the limits of what can be achieved with conventional batteries. Missions of 1000km and more will need new power source technology - two papers review the options available.
"This year, the Showcase conference highlighted some Special Topics alongside the technical papers, including AUV legal issues and how to improve national and international collaboration in developing and exploiting this exciting technology. UUVs are ideal platforms for a number of sensors and this year’s event included two papers on acoustic payloads with results from surveys at sea.
"With the offshore industry prospecting in ever-deeper water, the science community’s experience of operating ROVs below 4000m may hold valuable lessons. Tiburon and Victor are the latest generation world-class ROVs specifically designed for deep ocean science and exploration. In contrast, the closing session was on autonomous UUVs - with papers on the latest, remarkable achievements of vehicles already in service, and ideas for the future, including docking with moored and benthic stations and operations in the challenging ice-covered waters of Antarctica.
"The committee has striven to provide an exciting and balanced technical programme, while recognising that the strength of UUVS also lies in the personal contacts made outside the lecture theatre, the technical arguments over lunch or dinner and the opportunity to see vehicles and systems in action within Empress Dock. We trust that you found the event stimulating and enjoyable and that we will see you in Southampton for UUVS 99."
"Our conference committee put together a splendid programme" explains UUVS Project Director, Versha Carter of Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd, organisers of the event held in association with the Southampton Oceanography Centre on behalf of the University of Southampton, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Society for Underwater Technology. "With speakers from Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, UK and USA, UUVS 98 was a truly international event embracing civil and defence issues."
For further information please contact Spearhead Exhibitions Tel: +44 (0) 181 949 9222
Fax: +44 (0) 181 949 8186/ 8193.
