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WHOI Engineers Work to Adapt Swarming Capabilities for Low-Cost UUVs

In aerial and terrestrial applications, robotics swarms allow mission adaptability, robustness, and scalability. In aerial and terrestrial applications, access to GPS data and high-speed communications allows robotic swarms to operate functionally; however, expanding swarming capabilities below the ocean surface remains a significant challenge. Implementing swarming techniques for underwater missions requires structured, accurate clocks and communications…

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Innovative, new “road map” for kelp crop improvement

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and University of Connecticut license kelp germplasm collection to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Woods Hole, MA – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the  University of Connecticut, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have executed a license agreement for a kelp germplasm, or collection of microscopic cells called gametophytes, containing more than 1,200 samples all…

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WHOI Engineers Invent Sampling System for AUVs used in Oil Spill Response

The oil that enters aquatic environments can have significant ecosystem impacts. Most spilled oil from platforms and vessels floats on the water surface, but spills under the water can be more challenging to detect and observe. Underwater oil spills require additional observation measurements from remote sensors, surface vessels, and remotely operated and autonomous vehicles, which…

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Startup Spotlight: Q+A with ARMADA Marine Robotics, Inc. Founders, Jeff Kaeli, Robin Littlefield, and Rusty Warren

Armada Marine Robotics

In 2017, WHOI engineers Jeff Kaeli and Robin Littlefield entered the WHOI Office for Technology Transfer Pitchathon, intending to win translational funds to advance what was then just an idea, the Asymmetric Thruster. This novel propulsion system, now a patented and demonstrated technology, produces forward thrust – as with a traditional multi-bladed propeller – but…

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Exploration at New Heights and Depths

On average, Mars is about 140 million miles from Earth. The deepest parts of our ocean, called the Hadal Zone, are about 6.8 miles below the surface. At first thought, these places may not seem like they have much in common; but both sites face limitations for exploration and present unique technological challenges. Whether investigating…

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Calling All Entrepreneurs!

The Annual WHOI Pitchathon will take place in October and WHOI Tech Transfer is once again looking for volunteer Business Advisors to assist inventors in putting together the perfect pitch! Each October, WHOI hosts the pitch competition- inviting innovators from around WHOI to pitch their technologies before a panel of judges. WHOI innovators are given…

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WHOI Tech Transfer Concludes Innovation Month; Pitchathon Winner Announced

Innovation Month kicked off with the 4th Annual WHOI Pitchathon. For the first time, this year’s event was open for public viewing. The event took place in Redfield Auditorium on October 5th, with a great turnout and four WHOI teams competing for Proof of Concept Funding. The ideas pitched this year ranged from autonomous systems to…

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