The partners’ objective is to further develop virtual training standards that will provide operators, technicians, and other subject matter experts the experience and practice needed to be successful in critical subsea environments using OPENSEA control systems.
Greensea contracted GRi to develop a back-end simulation environment for OPENSEA that provides a virtual environment constructed of custom scenes and a physics engine based on actual subsea vehicle models. The GRi system provides OPENSEA raw sensor data as well as raw sonar data so that an existing OPENSEA-enabled control system can work as-is within the simulation environment. This architecture enables training on current production-release OPENSEA systems. Greensea is currently providing the simulator for EOD Workspace, Greensea’s software environment for maritime robotics working in Explosive Ordnance Disposal operations, RNAV2, Greensea’s diver navigation system developed and marketed with STIDD Systems Inc., and Greensea’s Professional ROV Workspace, sold as OEM software to several ROV manufacturers.
“Training is vital to developing and maintaining proficiency. While always challenging in the subsea industry, COVID-19 restrictions made getting offshore time more challenging over the past year. An accurate simulation environment that utilizes the exact software operators will use in the field is a meaningful and effective training system, “ says Ben Kinnaman, Greensea CEO. “The realism provided by the GRi system is spectacular. Since it provides raw sensor data to OPENSEA, operators can train on the entire software stack prior to going offshore.”
This partnership represents a significant milestone for GRi. As CEO Russell Pelley puts it, “Developing simulator projects involving such top shelf vehicle hardware designs and leading edge control software represented by Greensea’s innovative products is both a pleasure and privilege and we are gratified by the improvement in competency and operational safety to be gained by our clients. GRi is looking forward to the prospect of simulating a wide range of advanced marine systems through our partnership with Greensea Systems.”
Greensea is offering a standard simulation environment for sale to its OEMs and direct to End Users for a variety of different navigation and control products, including the RNAV2 and EOD Workspace.