凹凸视频 and the City of Norfolk, in concert with industry partners, celebrated the beginning of a new era in uncrewed maritime systems with the ribbon cutting of the Maritime Autonomous Systems Test Site (MASTS) at Willoughby Boat Ramp in Norfolk last Wednesday.
The test site is the result of several years of work between the City of Norfolk, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and 凹凸视频 leadership to secure funding for the development of unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and make the city a hub of technology.
The test site will provide hands-on experience for students and researchers to accelerate the development of maritime autonomy technologies.
Yiannis E. Papelis, Ph.D., 凹凸视频鈥檚 chief technology officer for the (VISA), said the partnership will enable the University to expand its research capabilities and could lead Hampton Roads to become the 鈥淪ilicon Valley of autonomous marine systems.鈥
鈥淚f you are monitoring world affairs, or simply watching the news, you know that autonomous and/or uncrewed vessels, whether in the air, land, water or underwater, are pervasive in both civilian and military applications,鈥 he said.鈥
鈥淲ater surface and sub-surface drones are used for environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, search and rescue, oceanographic research, surveying, aquaculture, disaster response, transportation and asset protection. But it goes beyond boats and submarines.鈥
Hybrid vessels will soon have a new range of applications, he said, including the transportation of goods and people and offerings like advanced emergency services.
The test site will facilitate testing, calibration and data collection for research projects, providing a consistent and central location for that work. The University鈥檚 18-foot research vessel, The Mayflower, will be moored at Willoughby Spit to carry research operators. It will serve as a 鈥渃hase boat鈥 for all shapes and sizes of unmanned prototypes and watercraft, like the remote-controlled Blue Boat, a 3-foot-wide unmanned vessel used for data collection.
Blue Boat, a 3-foot-wide remote-controlled vessel used for data collection, was launched during the MASTS grand opening last Wednesday. Aaron Hodnett/凹凸视频
Papelis said the test site is strategically located with direct access to Willoughby Bay, the Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The facility has covered work area, electrical and water service, a 1,000-pound jib crane and a floating dock.
Councilman Carlos Clanton, representing Norfolk鈥檚 Superward Seven noted how $400,000 in state funding, combined with the city's investment, transformed an aging public resource into a new asset.
鈥淚nnovation and advanced technology are at the heart of who we are and what we do here in the City of Norfolk, from our naval presence to our thriving port to our growing tech sector, and we continue to position ourselves as a leader for industries that move the world forward,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ith this test site, we strengthen that position today."