Cool New Applications in Unmanned Maritime Systems

The changing nature of Naval/Maritime Operations with the introduction of Autonomous Systems.

Unmanned Systems in the airborne arena, drones, have dominated the media, but there is considerable innovation and exciting activity in the unmanned maritime systems domain. San Diego, with the Navy's presence and UCSD's Scripps Institute of Oceanography, is a fertile ground for this innovation. This evening, we will feature a panel which addresses the emerging and developing technologies of Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) as well as business and operational employment in various industries. Come hear experts from Video Ray, SeaBotix (Teledyne), SeaByte and Ocean Wings.

Unmanned marine vehicle systems are used for a wide range of military and commercial applications. For commercial, these include, Oil and Gas Exploration and Construction, Oceanographic Data Collection, Hydrographic, Oceanographic and Environmental Surveys. For the military these include Mine Counter Measures (MCM), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) for combat training.

Co-produced by AUVSI, A&D Forum and Wharton Aerospace

Event Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm

5:30pm-6:15pm – arrival, networking

6:15pm-7:30pm – panel

7:30pm-8:00pm – post panel networking

Panelists include the following and more:

CDR Robert Wheat, Commanding Officer, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1

Commander Wheat was born and raised in Kentucky, and attended the U.S Academy, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (with merit) and was commissioned in May 2000. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College’s College of Naval Command and Staff (with highest distinction) and Maritime Advanced Warfighting School. Afloat Commander Wheat served in USS DEVASTATOR (MCM 6) as First Lieutenant and Weapons Officer.

Upon completion of EOD training, Commander Wheat was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) FIVE, Agana, Guam followed by Naval Special Clearance Team (NSCT) ONE, Coronado, CA. When NSCT ONE transitioned to EODMU ONE Commander Wheat assumed duties as EOD Company ONE TWO Company Commander. Subsequently he served as the Executive Officer of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) ONE, Pearl Harbor, HI. Ashore Commander Wheat served as the Mine Warfare Current Operations Officer and Readiness Officer on the staff of Commander, Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command. Most recently he was assigned to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Plans and Policy Directorate (N5) where he served as the Chief of Korea Plans.

Commander Wheat assumed duty as the Commanding Officer, EODMU ONE on 13 April 2017.

Mr. Michael Tall, SPAWAR.

Mike Tall is the Unmanned Systems Portfolio Manager at Spawar Systems Center Pacific. In this role, he makes sure we’re doing the right UxS work, our employees are getting the training / workforce development that they need, and fosters connections internally and externally. The right work includes, but not limited to, technologies in Machine Learning, UxS Platforms, Mesh / Multi-Domain Communications, UxS Sensors / Payloads, and UxS Cyber / IA. Previous to this role, he was a technical lead developing autonomy for maritime systems and integrating new payloads. He received his Master’s degree in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

Leverett Bezanson, SeaByte.

Leverett is the engineering manager of SeeByte, Inc. leading U.S. based engineering efforts. SeeByte, Inc was established in 2008 in Seattle, WA with offices in San Diego, CA. SeeByte is involved in many ongoing Office of Naval Research, JIEDDO, and Naval Sea and Air Systems Command projects, as well as the US Navy EOD MK 18 Family of Systems Program of Record. SeeByte also has commercial presence in the offshore oil and gas industry and has achieved some significant milestones and firsts in autonomous platform operations, pipeline, and cable tracking.

Leverett graduated from the San Diego State University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, and later earned a Master of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Signal and Image Processing from the University of California San Diego. The research for his thesis titled The Subarray MVDR Beamformer: A Space-Time Processor Applied to Active Sonar was conducted at the NATO Underwater Research Centre in La Spezia Italy. This research was on a research fellowship focusing on using AUVs for Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW).

Chris Gibson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing at VideoRay, has been with the company since its inception in 1999, and is responsible for business development and strategy. He has helped grow VideoRay into the largest unit volume remotely operated vehicle (ROV) vendor in the world.

VideoRay’s units are used worldwide – on every continent and in an extremely wide range of industries and missions. Hundreds of VideoRay ROVs are used daily in homeland security, defense, inland and offshore infrastructure development, aquaculture, yachting, power plant inspection, and many more applications. VideoRay’s dominance of the inspection class ROV industry is due to constant innovation, excellent customer support, and Chris’ leadership in explaining the benefits of technology for replacing divers or other techniques with less expensive, more effective, and safer robotic technology. Mr. Gibson received his B.B.A. in Marketing and Business Management from West Virginia University. He is based in VideoRay’s global headquarters in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia.

Gaurav Sharma, Teledyne SeaBotix. Gaurav is a Robotics enthusiast who works for Teledyne SeaBotix as an Embedded Systems Engineer. He has been one of the Chief architects of the firmware framework for the company's suite of Remotely Operated Vehicles and accessories. Gaurav moved to Tempe, Arizona from India in 2009 and got his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering the following year from Arizona State University (ASU). He then proceeded to work at Alaris, a joint startup venture between Rolls Royce and ASU where he co-developed a signature verification device based on acoustic wave technology. His love for complex problem solving and beautiful weather brought him to San Diego where he was introduced to the world of unmanned underwater vehicles and the challenges that come with them. Gaurav’s research interests include motor control and computer vision, and he has published IEEE papers on intelligent power management of ROV thrusters, and multi-axes control of a 4000m rated subsea winch. Gaurav believes that perseverance beats everything and the only failure is the failure to get up and move forward. In addition to finding creative solutions for overcoming technical hurdles, Gaurav loves to travel or tinker with electronics at home during his free time.

Paco Santana, Riptide

Paco Santana is the Director of Business Development for Riptide AS. He is a retired Navy EOD Commander and qualified diving officer and naval parachutist. Over his more than twenty two years in the Navy, significant tours included two combat tours, Commanding Officer of EOD Mobile Unit TEN in Virginia Beach, VA; Chief Staff Officer at Mine Countermeasures Squadron TWO in Ingleside, TX; and Director of the EOD Program Office in Indian Head, MD. While at the Program Office, his portfolio

included the acquisition of unmanned air, ground and maritime systems. He is a plankowner at US Northern Command in Colorado Springs, CO and qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard USS Midway CV-41 homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. Paco has worked in the unmanned maritime systems industry for eight years and was a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley for two years. He graduated from Southern Methodist University and attended the Naval Postgraduate School.