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assistance of veteran ROV pilots and trainers, has developed Assessment Metrics software which used with a ROVolution simulator, objectively assesses a pilot's performance of key ROV flight maneuvers such as main- taining a flight path and tether man- agement. The software also evaluates core competencies, like the use of navigation aids, spatial awareness and time keeping.A problem for trainee pilots is often the lack of opportunity for hands on experience. The Center offers preconfigured scenarios run- ning on GRL's simulators from basic offshore tasks to the most complex subsea interventions. www.generalrobotics.co.uk new products • sonar sytems 56 MTR April 2009 Reson Demos Waterside Security Solutions The SeaBat 7112 and SeaBat 7123 waterside security systems were tested during NATO Harbor Protection Trials (HPT08), according to Reson. In September the NATO Harbor Protection Trials (HPT08) took place in Eckernfoerde, Germany under the auspices of the Maritime Capability Group 3 on Mines, Mine Countermeasures and Harbor Protection. For the first time this year it was decided to look at all possible terrorist threat scenarios for the protection of ships in harbors' or berthed. These were to include attacks from the air, above water and underwater attacks. The waterside trials were designed to test the equipment in a range of realistic scenarios including Harbor inspection, inspection of a mooring and swimmer detection. A number of companies were selected to participate in these trials in order to demonstrate their systems capabili- ties and Reson participated in cooperation with UK based company BAE Systems and Italian companies WASS, SELEX and Calzoni. BAE Systems participated with the Talisman Automated Underwater Vehicle (AUV) which was designed to meet a range of operational requirements dependent on customer requirements. The Talisman can be operated fully autonomously on pre-programmed missions but also has the capability for the operator to intervene throughout the mission should the operational situation change. The operator communicates with the vehicle and systems via RF or Iridium SatCom (while the vehicle is surfaced) and via acoustic communications systems (when ve-hicle is underwater). For the trials the Talisman was fitted with a nose mounted Reson SeaBat 7123 with a dedicated soft- ware interface specifically developed to exchange target information and receive control commands. It is believed that this was the first time that a Forward Looking MCM sonar has been fitted to an AUV. During the exercises the Talisman was tasked to perform a harbor inspection, berth inspection and the search of an area immediately outside the harbor using SeaBat. Various Mine Like Object's (MLO's) were deployed in and out- side harbor and the mission was to find and identify these objects. Operating at 240kHz the Seabat 7123 was reportedly able to collect good quality imagery and provide a detailed survey of the harbor bottom. However, the cluttered nature of the harbor bottom made it difficult to distin- guish the MLO's immediately. This issue would be addressed by building a detailed database of the harbor bottom, then using that data on subsequent re-inspections to identify new and potential threat objects, www.reson.com MTR#3 (50-64).qxd 3/27/2009 3:09 PM Page 56
