Bluefin Robotics

Bluefin Robotics
Wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Mission Systems
Industry Robotics
Founded 1997
Headquarters Quincy, Massachusetts
Products Bluefin-21
Knifefish UUV
Number of employees
 200 (2014)
Parent General Dynamics Mission Systems (acquired 2016)
Website www.bluefinrobotics.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3][4]

Bluefin Robotics is an American robotics company, headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, which specialises in the design and manufacture of military and civilian autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and related technology.[1] The company was founded in 1997, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Battelle Memorial Institute in 2005. Its products include the Bluefin-21 underwater search robot and its military derivative, the Knifefish minesweeping AUV, which is scheduled to enter service with the United States Navy in 2017.[5][6] Bluefin has furthermore been involved in the development of several advanced Navy projects, including the Black Pearl AUV and the Proteus optionally-manned submersible.[4][7]

Company history and overview

Bluefin Robotics was founded in 1997 by a group of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AUV laboratory.[1] In 2005, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Battelle Memorial Institute, an Ohio-based nonprofit research and development company.[1] In 2010, Bluefin Robotics won a gold award at the 7th Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, and in 2013 it received accolades from R&D Magazine and the Robotics Business Review.[8] In April 2014, it received a US$7.11 million federal contract from the US Navy's Office of Naval Research for the development of the Navy's experimental Black Pearl AUV.[4][9]

As of 2014, Bluefin Robotics employs around 200 people.[3] The company is a member of several business and technology associations, including the Marine Technology Society (MTS), the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the Mine Warfare Association (MINWARA), the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC).[1]

In February 2016, General Dynamics Mission Systems acquired Bluefin Robotics. Bluefin Robotics will become part of General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Maritime and Strategic Systems line of business. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.[10]

Products and services

Bluefin Robotics has developed over 50 AUV configurations from a core set of modular components, and has furthermore produced sensors for use on 80 different third-party AUVs.[1] In addition to designing and manufacturing AUV components, the company provides "full AUV lifecycle support" for users of its robots, including training and operational assistance.[1] Bluefin Robotics maintains a 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m2) development and manufacturing facility at its Quincy headquarters, and also operates the catamaran R/V Resolution, a mobile control center for testing and monitoring the company's robots.[11] As of 2015, Bluefin Robotics' most notable products are the Bluefin-21 and Knifefish long-endurance AUVs and the Proteus optionally-manned submersible.

Bluefin-21 AUV

Main article: Bluefin-21

The Bluefin-21 is a torpedo-shaped multirole AUV capable of conducting oceanic military, scientific and search and rescue operations. Utilising a modular design powered by interchangeable lithium-polymer batteries, it can operate on the sea floor for up to sixteen hours at a time.[12] In 2014, the Bluefin-21 was deployed to conduct undersea sensor sweeps during the international effort to locate the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.[13]

Knifefish AUV

Main article: Knifefish (robot)

The Knifefish is a derivative of the Bluefin-21, developed in partnership with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. The Knifefish is designed to perform minesweeping operations for the US Navy, replacing the trained minesweeping dolphins and sealions of the Marine Mammal Program, and will operate in concert with the Navy's Littoral Combat Ships.[5] The Knifefish is scheduled to begin sea trials in 2015 and to enter into active naval service in 2017.[14]

Proteus submersible

In 2012, Bluefin unveiled its largest AUV to date, the Proteus submersible, which it developed in partnership with the Columbia Group and Huntington Ingalls Underwater Solutions Group.[7][15] The Proteus is an optionally-manned 8,000-pound (3,600 kg) submersible capable of carrying up to seven passengers; it can also operate autonomously with a large cargo payload.[16][17] The Proteus was designed for naval special forces operations, and underwent sea trials with the US Navy SEALs in September 2012.[16] In 2013, Bluefin Robotics received an R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine for the development of the Proteus.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About". Bluefin Robotics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Location and Visitors". Bluefin Robotics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Bluefin Robotics". Marine Technology News. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bluefin Robotics Corporation: Private Company Information". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 "U.S. Navy To Retire Mine-Sweeping Dolphins And Use Robots Instead". Popular Science. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Robotic submarine searching for MH370 makes first successful scan of seabed". Daily Mail. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Proteus". AUVAC. 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Accolades". Bluefin Robotics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bluefin Robotics wins $7.1 million contract to develop Navy's next-generation underwater drones". Military & Aerospace Electronics. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. ↑ https://gdmissionsystems.com/news-2016-general-dynamics-mission-systems-acquires-bluefin-robotics/
  11. ↑ "Facilities". Bluefin Robotics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Orr, Aleisha (22 April 2014). "Bluefin-21's search for MH370 nearing completion in the Southern Indian Ocean". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Love, Dyan (3 April 2014). "Meet Bluefin-21, The Robot That's Searching For The Missing Malaysian Airlines Plane". Business Insider (India). Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "Knifefish Mine-hunting UUV to Begin Operational Testing in 2015". DefenseMediaNetwork.com. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "The Navy SEALs' secret 'Batsub' revealed: Proteus mini stealth craft can carry six elite frogmen underwater". Daily Mail. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Bluefin Launches Next-Gen, Large-scale, Submersible". Robotics Business Review. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Will the small but powerful Proteus sub replace the Mark 8?". Tech Gen Magazine. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Dual Use Submersible Vehicle Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Award for Battelle, The Columbia Group, and Bluefin Robotics". Battelle Memorial Institute. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

See also

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