Successful CRD100 Coring Program

Cellula Robotics Ltd. is please to that announce that Subsea Geo Services Inc. (SGSI) and Fukada Salvage and Marine Works (Fukada) completed another successful coring program with a Cellula CRD100 seafloor drill, known as Unicorn-1.  The coring program was in 1,400m of seawater with wave heights of up to four meters off the coast of Japan. The program focused on recovering Seafloor Massive Sulphides (SMS) samples to help better understand the geology of the region.

Cores were taken at five locations with sample depths ranging from 9m to 63m. The geology of the region is highly varied ranging from silts and clay to soft volcanic ash, quartz and rock. This variation has historically resulted in poor core recovery on previous drilling programs. However, the Unicorn-1 system provided excellent cores particularly in the SMS segment, averaging over 80% recovery.

Fukada Salvage and Marine Works Co., Ltd. (FSM), headquartered in Osaka, Japan is involved in marine salvage, steel structure installation, offshore engineering, and other infrastructural improvement projects. FSM is currently introducing deep-sea research equipment and other cutting-edge assets to a fleet of six offshore support vessels to aggressively tackle ocean development projects. For more information, please visit the FSM website: http://www.fukasal.co.jp/en/

Subsea Geo Services Inc. (SGSI) is a leading geotechnical system operator focusing on CPTu and drilling and coring operations with the CRD100/Unicorn-1 seafloor in co-operation with FSM. The Unicorn-1 system is a highly capable seafloor drilling platform suitable for operation to 3,000m of seawater and the ability to operate safely in highly variable weather conditions due to its purpose-built A-frame and heave compensated winch. For more information, please visit SGSI’s website at: www.subseageoservices.com

Cellula Upgrades to ISO 9001:2015 Certification

Cellula’s Quality Management System is now certified to ISO 9001:2015. This is an upgrade from Cellula’s QMS previous certification to the ISO 9001:2008 standard.

Cellula successfully attained accreditation during the first Upgrade Transition Audit in early October. At the same time, Cellula maintained and passed the 24 Month Surveillance Audit for our 9001:2008 certification.

Cellula will continue to uphold the standards of ISO 9001:2015 in our daily business.

The QMS accepts the challenges of working in the prototype market, but strives to ensure the quality of each product delivered to our customers. From our employees to our clients, the QMS acknowledges the importance of maintaining the quality of our product to ensure all parties have their needs and expectations met.

By adhering to these principles, we endeavor to always bring the best value to our customers while delivering tools and infrastructure for the future.

New Website & Hovering AUV Release

Cellula Robotics Ltd. is proud to launch a new website and introduce their first Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV): Imotus-1. 

Imotus-1 is a Hovering AUV specifically designed to operate in confined environments, in a range of fluids.  The navigation solution incorporates Cellula’s proprietary Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms, using data from a suite of sensors to calculate its location inside a confined, unknown environment.  Imotus-1 carries a range of inspection sensors including a high resolution stills camera, ultrasonic thickness sensors and a light intervention cleaning tool.  Imotus-1 is available for purchase or lease.

Eric Jackson, President of Cellula Robotics Ltd. said: “We are excited to be entering the HAUV market with a vehicle designed to solve specific inspection challenges in confined spaces.  Over the past 18 months, Cellula has taken the strategic decision to develop this technology, building on our strong control systems experience.  With the global AUV market expected to grow significantly in the coming years and a drive to reduce costs in the Oil and Gas sector, we believe the Imotus family of vehicles will provide a new and cost effective solution to many inspection challenges.”

Cellula Awarded Imotus-1 Contract For Offshore Platform Survey

Cellula Robotics Ltd. has been awarded a contract to operate its Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV) Imotus-1 for survey and inspection work on an offshore platform.  The work will be performed in January 2018 and includes an option for subsequent inspections on the same platform.

Cellula Awarded Imotus-1 Contract

Cellula Robotics Ltd. has been awarded a contract by Ocean Networks Canada to demonstrate subsea blue light communication, docking and charging of Cellula’s Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV): Imotus-1.  The demonstration will occur by the end of 2017 in a confined space test tank.

Established in 2007 as a major initiative of the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) operates world-leading ocean observatories for the advancement of science and the benefit of Canada. The observatories collect data on physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of the ocean over long time periods, supporting research on complex Earth processes in ways not previously possible. For more information, please visit the ONC website.

MP Terry Beech Visits Cellula to Announce BCIP Contract

Cellula Robotics Ltd. hosted Terry Beech, MP for Burnaby North-Seymour and Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, as he announced the awarding of a Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) contract to Cellula. The $612,202 contract is for two Cetor3000 Environmental Samplers which will be tested at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography prior to being used in the field.

See the press release from Public Services and Procurement Canada here.

Cellula Completes Seismometer Study and Model

Cellula Robotics Ltd. has completed a study of possible methods for deploying JAMSTEC’s Ocean Bottom Seismometers into the seabed. As part of that study, Cellula delivered a 1:5 scale model of the selected concept design as a visual tool to simulate the installation process. Further development of this concept design will ultimately lead to the production of a deployment tool that will be used with JAMSTEC’s CRD100 Seafloor Drill for deploying seismometers off the coast of Japan.

Cellula Robotics Featured in Innovation Magazine

Cellula Robotics has been featured in this month’s issue of Innovation Magazine, a publication of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). The issue highlights exciting projects the association’s members have worked on in the past year.

This year Cellula’s highlight was the delivery of its third CRD100 Seafloor Drill to the Japanese Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

Read the article on p. 30 by clicking here.

CRD100 First Cruise Support Mission

Cellula Robotics Ltd. (Cellula) has successfully completed a cruise support mission on the Japanese research vessel Kaimei. This was the first drilling cruise for the JAMSTEC owned CRD100.

The primary goal of the cruise was to provide a hands-on training session for drill operations, the second was to recover any cores possible from the pillow lava rock found on the seafloor 1000 meters below the surface. The drilling took place at in Sagami Bay, Japan, where the sea bed was relatively flat and firm.

During the cruise the drill completed two dives, each to about 1000msw from which multiple high-quality H-size and 146T size core samples were recovered.

Image courtesy of JAMSTEC

Cellula Featured in UT3 Magazine

Cellula Robotics has been featured in UT3’s first 2017 issue.  

The article examines the benefits, features, and new developments of the CRD100 Seafloor Drill upon the delivery of Cellula’s third such drilling system. The article can be found here on pages 44-46.

UT3 is the online magazine of the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT), which brings together organisations and individuals with an interest in underwater technology, ocean science and offshore engineering.