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An looking at the bigger picture implications given the high pro Þ le coverage of the mission? I think it is a positive in that it is broad exposure for not just this product but the technology to the general public. From an industry perspective, there has been a consistent re- sponse that this is not about our vehicle versus a different ven- dor?s vehicle, it?s about ?this is the capability of the industry, understand the dif culties of working in this environment, try- ing to explain the challenges of these operations and the tech- nology. In general it has been a positive to show what can be done. At the same time it shows to the public that this is going to take awhile, it is going to require patience and tenacity, it is going to look tedious to those on the outside not accustomed to these sorts of things. And here is the toughest question of all: How would you grade the mass media?s coverage of your technology, your industry? In general, the media coverage has been fair and bal- anced. The challenge is trying to explain the technology so that it is easy to digest for the media and the public. The biggest misconception was to not have them refer to these vehicles as drones. Current gen unmanned aerial vehicles fundamentally have an operator full time in the loop ying the vehicle, and if that link breaks, it is ?bye bye plane.? So the idea that the AUV is really autonomous ? reporting its status, and maintaining its mission, tracking itself in the environment, turning sensors on and off, for the most part by itself, was the toughest con- cept to get reporters to understand as the difference between current gen air vehicles and current gen AUVs. David P. Kelly is the President and CEO of Blue Þ n Robotics a wholly-owned subsidiary of Battelle. He is responsible for the strategic direction and operational execution of the business. David is a senior member of the IEEE, a member of ACM, and a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas. David holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytech- nic Institute, an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas, and an MBA from Southern Methodist Uni- versity. Marine Technology Reporter 23www.seadiscovery.com MTR #4 (18-33).indd 23MTR #4 (18-33).indd 235/12/2014 10:47:43 AM5/12/2014 10:47:43 AM
