Blueprint Subsea and Nortek recently announced a partnership aimed at helping divers navigate underwater.
Their new technology aims to provide accurate, reliable navigation when GNSS signals disappear beneath the surface, and uses Blueprint’s Artemis diver navigation systems, which rely on Nortek DVLs for accurate velocity information. By combining both these critical elements of navigation, the new partnership aims to provide highly accurate navigation.
Currently, the Artemis systems are deployed primarily by two specialist groups in the defense space:
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers
- Combat swimmers.
For EOD divers, precise navigation and positional awareness are critical to safety and mission success. On the other hand, combat swimmers rely on Artemis to execute covert insertion and extraction missions, navigating accurately to designated targets and returning undetected.
According to Blueprint Subsea Technical Sales Engineer James Colebourn:
“Once GPS drops out, the unit seamlessly switches to the DVL, just as any remotely operated vehicle (ROV) would, enabling accurate underwater navigation until the diver resurfaces.”
Discussing the choice of Nortek, he added:
“Initially, we chose Nortek for quality, but as the partnership matured, Nortek supported the customization we needed. Robots can do many things, but some missions still require people in the water. There will always be tasks that demand human judgment, adaptability, and touch.”
You can find out more information here.
