Autonomous submarines for ocean exploration; drone autonomy with Exyn Technologies

The Robot Report Podcast · 3 Dec 2020 · 1h 11m

What this episode covers

Jud Kauffman and Joe Wolfel, co-founders of Austin-based startup Terradepth, discuss their mission to build the 'Google Earth of the ocean' using a novel two-submarine leapfrogging system for autonomous deep-sea data collection. They explain how their Navy SEAL background informs their approach to solving bandwidth and signal attenuation challenges in underwater environments. The episode also features Nader Elm, CEO and co-founder of Exyn Technologies, who details his company's autonomous drones designed for GPS-denied environments like mines, highlighting their software-centric approach and recent product launches.

Mentioned

Companies
Terradepth, Exyn Technologies, DJI, Boston Dynamics, Ghost Robotics, Seagate, Ocean Infinity
Products
ExynArrow, ExynPack, A3R
Chips
Velodyne VLP 16
Also
GRASP Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, GEBCO Seabed 2030

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 27m

    Episode 99: Robots mapping the deep ocean - Joe Wolfel

    Joe Wolfel, CEO and founder of Terradepth, explains how his background as a US Navy SEAL inspired the creation of autonomous submersible robots to map the deep ocean. He details Terradepth's 'soc' drone system, which uses two robots to leapfrog through the water column, enabling self-recharging and mutual localization without a surface vessel. Wolfel discusses the economic challenges of the maritime industry, the use of machine learning for data analysis, and the environmental benefits of reducing acoustic pollution compared to traditional ship-based mapping.

  • Over the Air · 16m

    Autonomous Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments with Ben Williams, COO at Exyn Technologies

    Ben Williams, COO of Exyn Technologies, explains how his company uses SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) to enable autonomous navigation in GPS-denied environments like mines and caves. He details the engineering challenge of operating in dusty, particulate-heavy conditions, describing how early systems would crash until they developed an action framework to detect and avoid these hazards. Williams highlights the transition from manual piloting to fully autonomous operations, noting partnerships with hardware providers like Boston Dynamics and software firms like Cesium to build a multimodal autonomy ecosystem.

  • Robot Talk · 18m

    Episode 59: Robots at sea - Ffion Llewellyn

    Ffion Llewellyn, an engineer at Oshen, explains how the startup is building autonomous micro-vessels for remote ocean sensing. She details the integration of hydrophones from Aris Aqua and HydroMoth, as well as metocean sensors, to monitor marine mammals and weather data. Llewellyn discusses the engineering challenges of waterproofing and robustness, noting that water ingress often causes components to fail during sea trials. The company is currently in the early stage, having completed sea trials with two prototypes in Cardigan Bay and planning to deploy a fleet of ten.

  • Moore's Lobby · 55m

    Looking Down to Go Forward: Ground Penetrating Radar for Autonomous Vehicles

    Noah Gedrimas, VP of Strategy at Ground Positioning Radar (GPR), discusses using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for centimeter-accurate localization in autonomous vehicles. He details his background at Continental Automotive working on valet parking and semi-trucks, and explains how GPR’s 'WaveSense' system maps sub-surface signatures to navigate in weather or GPS-denied environments like mines and seaports. Gedrimas also critiques sensor fusion complexity, discusses the business case for autonomous trucking versus robotaxis, and offers insights into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving approach.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 02m

    363: Squishy Nature

    Alana Sherman, an electrical engineer and project manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), discusses engineering instruments for deep-sea environments, including the DeepPIV system for studying larvaceans and the autonomous Benthic Rover. She details the challenges of designing electronics for high-pressure, cold-water conditions, such as pressure-tolerant vs. one-atmosphere housings and component failures like sticky motors. The conversation covers the Rover's long-term deployment, its use of acoustic ranging via Wave Gliders, and the specific mechanical and embedded system decisions required for reliable operation on the seafloor.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Robot Report Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.