VideoRay International Partner Symposium - Key Largo, Florida, USA

Use the selections below to filter the display to see only the sessions of interest to you.

Session Type	Keynote	Panel Discussion	Classroom Seminar	Hands-on Workshop
Session Category	Business Manager	Piloting	Maintenance	Academic and Research
Session Day	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Display	Category	Presenter	Description	Time	Room

The program information provided below is subject to change.

Micro-ROVs - Now and into the Future (Keynote)
Scott Bentley - President - VideoRay

Monday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Grassy/Palm Rooms

Applying Sonar Technologies - What Works Well... What Doesn't... What Works Even Better? (Panel Discussion)
BlueView Technologies, Inc.; Marine Sonic Technology, Ltd.; Tritech International Limited
Join experts in the field of sonar technologies as they discuss various operational scenarios and the related strategies and tactics that produce the best results. Attendees are encouraged to propose scenarios from past experience or future plans.
Monday 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Grassy Room

Positioning Systems How To... Navigating, Tracking and Mapping (Panel Discussion)
Desert Star Systems, LLC; KCF Technologies; Tritech International Limited
Join experts in the field of positioning systems technologies as they discuss various operational scenarios and the related strategies and tactics that produce the best results. Attendees are encouraged to propose scenarios from past experience or future plans.
Tuesday 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Grassy Room

In Search of Enhanced Visual Performance and Information (Panel Discussion)
Buccaneer Ltd.; Lyyn AB; Tritech International Limited
Join experts in video production as they explore methods to optimize video quality through technology like video filters and different lighting and recording techniques.
Wednesday 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Grassy Room

Basic Field Maintenance Procedures This session will be repeated on Wednesday (Classroom Seminar)
Brett Kolb - Technical Service Manager - VideoRay LLC
Every Micro-ROV user - pilot, technician and supervisor - needs to know what is presented in this seminar. Learn how to care for VideoRays, including calibration and simple field repairs.
Monday 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
Location: Palm Room

ROV / Diver Interaction and Communications (Classroom Seminar)
Chris Huntington - ET1 - United States Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team - Miami
This session explores the potential and challenges of piloting an ROV in conjuction with using divers. Topics include typical applications and ROV pilot / diver communications standards.
Monday 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

ROV Inspection Techniques for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel (Classroom Seminar)
Steve Van Meter - Principal - Steve Van Meter Consulting
Managers aboard Conoco Phillips' FPSO vessel in the South China Sea needed a way to inspect the anchor system. Engineers determined the easiest and safest way to inspect the anchor system was by descending through a 50 centimeter diameter riser tube and buoy trumpet. During installation and training, Conoco Phillips saw other valuable uses for the VideoRay system including hull, anchors, and ballast tank inspections.
Monday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

Basic Diagnostic Techniques for Troubleshooting Typical ROV Problems This session will be repeated on Wednesday (Classroom Seminar)
Brett Kolb - VideoRay LLC - Even with the best planning, it's inevitable that something can go wrong. This presentation helps you solve typical problems by isolating the exact nature of the failure and provides you with practical tips for how to recover and complete the job successfully.

Monday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Palm Room

Croatian Experiences in Raising Awareness of the Potential of Micro-ROVs in Interdisciplinary Research (Classroom Seminar)
Matko Barasic - University of Zagreb
Through a variety of workshops, the Center for Underwater Systems and Technology has been raising the awareness among researchers about the potential of micro-ROVs in the fields of marine biology, underwater archaeology, underwater robotics, telecommunications, maritime civil engineering, and oil and gas engineering. This presentation highlights some of the VideoRay activities presented at the workshops and how the workshops are helping to demonstrate the practicality of VideoRays.
Monday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Palm Room

My Use of the VideoRay as a Bridge Engineer (Classroom Seminar)
Tim Rackham - Senior Bridge Inspector - Buckinghamshire County Council
Working as a bridge engineer for an English county council, Tim Rackham provides an overview of where in the world he works, his responsibilities, the range of sites inspects & how that data he gathers is collected and used. He explains how his Videoray has been uniquely modified to work in an environment very different from most users, and will discuss the costs / benefits of using the VideoRay. His efforts lead him to conclude that VideoRay is a quicker, better, cheaper asset management tool.
Monday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Grassy Room

ROV Usage in United Kingdom in Recoveries of Drowning Victims (Classroom Seminar)
Ian MacDonald - Buccaneer
The United Kingdom is increasingly utilizing remotely operated vehicles to locate, and recover, victims from a wide variety of underwater incidents. This is primarily to increase safety for public safety divers, but also to improve the speed and efficiency of the process. This presentation will focus on recent incidents from fishing and scuba diving accidents. The tools and techniques used, and the lessons learned for future operations will be presented.
Monday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Fiesta Room

Finding and Imaging a Sunken Fishing Vessel in 500 fsw with a VideoRay ROV (Classroom Seminar)
Chris Gibson - Director of Sales and Marketing - VideoRay LLC
VideoRay was asked to assist the US Coast Guard in investigating the cause of the mysterious loss of the Lady Luck, a 52 foot steel-hulled commercial fishing vessel which sunk February 1, 2007, 20 nautical miles southeast of Portland, ME. Normally, side scan sonar is used in this kind of search. However, within the tight timeframe established by weather and vessel availability, the SeaSprite scanning sonar-equipped microROV was the only tool available. The author led the expedition, and will explain how the ROV helped to determine the cause of the accident. Sonar data and underwater video will be shown.
Tuesday 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

Advances in Navigational Assistance - Auto-Heading Extension for PC Pilot (Classroom Seminar)
Nikola Miskovic - University of Zagreb
At VIPS 2006, the University of Zagreb presented a working prototype of Auto-Heading software for VideoRay's PC Pilot. During the time since then, this system has been improved and refined. This presentation will describe the development and the final PC Pilot Auto-Heading extension, including instructions on how to install the Autoheading extension and the modes in which it can be used. While in Auto-Heading mode, the software can perform fully automated user-friendly auto-tuning tests.
Tuesday 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
Location: Palm Room

Two Year Artificial Reef Fish Study with MicroROV for NOVA Southeastern University (Classroom Seminar)
Steve Van Meter - Principal - Steve Van Meter Consulting
Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in Ft. Lauderdale undertook a two year effort to study fish on a series of artificial reefs - 5 old cargo ships sunk offshore Ft. Lauderdale in the mid 1980's. The major problem they had to overcome was the depth. Each site was between 250-300 fsw. Additionally, these vessels, sitting 2-3 miles offshore are located in water strongly affected by the Gulf Stream current, which averages 2-3 knots. To get the video images they required, the director of the program made a decision to use a mircoROV system. It was important to dive the reefs at various times of the year to observe seasonal changes in fish species and populations. During this two year period a VideoRay ROV system was used to conduct an average of 2 dives per month. Because of the depth and the currents it was necessary to develop some low cost support equipment and new techniques. The results were high quality video of subjects that normally would not be available using divers. The ROV also could stay down for hours while a diver could only do about 15 minutes at the normal working depth. Graduate students reviewed the video in the lab and counted the numbers and types of fish. Several species not native to the South Florida area were identified.
Tuesday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

Development Strategy of Using VideoRay within a Proposed System-of-Systems Configuration (Classroom Seminar)
Matko Barasic - University of Zagreb
A look at the projects underway in Croatia and elsewhere in the EU that are likely to include a VideoRay or a VideoRay-like micro-ROV is given. Discussion of what are the key design parameters that should be included in the refurbishment, re-design and engineering of a next-generation VideoRay will be provided. It will be demonstrated which of these design parameters are necessary in a future envisaged role of a VideoRay-like platform within complicated, intelligent and robust System-of-Systems configurations. A case study based on two different possible mission profiles will be undertaken: one falling within the portfolios of Defense and Homeland Security and another within the portfolio of surveying and sample collection within oceanographic, marine biology, applied ecology and nature conservation, and cultural monument protection, restoration and archaeology grassroots projects. The talk will discuss the tether engineering parameters (weight, resistance to movement in water, nature of communication and energy-transfer channels / cables within the tether), propulsion options and possible configurations, communication protocols, downstairs embedded computing, DSP and energy electronics, and naval architecture of the future VideoRay with a look towards modularity and mounting strong-points for some onboard sensors not originally envisioned on a VideoRay (Didson sonars etc.).
Tuesday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Palm Room

VideoRay - More than Simply an Inspection Tool (Classroom Seminar)
Tim Rackham - Senior Bridge Inspector - Buckinghamshire County Council
This seminar covers the monitoring systems use to determine whether a particular defect is worsening over time. It includes methods of crack monitoring, mortar loss, corrosion monitoring plus using sonar as a measuring tool to detect movement in irregular profiles.
Tuesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Grassy Room

Tank Inspections of Water Based Fire Suppression Systems (Classroom Seminar)
Penny Allds - Principal - J & S Utility Consultants
Water based fire suppression systems are different from most water tanks because the water must be delivered through sprinklers that have small orifices that are much more susceptible to clogging than potable water systems. Inspecting for sediment or debris is critical to ensure that these systems will function as designed when needed. This sessions describes the use of VideoRay ROVs to accomplish these inspections.
Tuesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

Shipwreck Exploration: Tips and Tricks (Classroom Seminar)
Rachael Miller - Lake Champlain Shipwrecks
After hundreds of dives on the wrecks of Lake Champlain, Lake Champlain Shipwrecks has discovered (through trial and error) some tricks on using VideoRay to explore shipwrecks in limited visibility (and without sonar). Rachael Miller, owner and operator of Lake Champlain Shipwrecks, a shipwreck tour business out of Burlington, VT, will discuss: navigation, tether management, launch/recovery, wreck etiquette, working with organizations who control the wrecks and more.
Tuesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Palm Room

A Day in the Life of a United States Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (Classroom Seminar)
Chris Huntington - United States Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team - Miami
Using video from various missions, ET1 Chris Huntington presents some of the ways that the USCG is using micro-ROVs to support its role in homeland security and public safety.
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Palm Room

ROV Inspections of Hydro-Power Plants, Dams and Water Tunnels in Norway (Classroom Seminar)
Henning Føsker - Norconsult
For several years, Norconsult has used VideoRay for inspections of tunnels, gates and dams. VideoRay is an important and effective tool for inspections of objects in hydro-power plants and makes Norconsult more competitive in the market. The size of the VideoRay is offering accessibility and camera angels that few other inspection platforms can. It has been used to inspect dams, gates and tunnels where neither divers nor industrial ROVs could be used - divers for obvious safety reasons, industrial ROVs for access limitations. This summary of 6 years of operating experience includes: Underwater construction work at Vrangfoss HPP in Norway has been monitored by VideoRay. A lost draft tube gate at Mtera HPP in Tanzania has been found. Monitoring the lowering of stop logs in front of a jammed, partially open gate where the use of divers would be unthinkable and inspection of a leaking low level outlet gate in heavy turbulence.
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Grassy Room

Using an ROV to Inspect and Analyze the MSC NAPOLI Wreckage (Classroom Seminar)
Steve Van Meter - Principal - Steve Van Meter Consulting
In January 2007, a 900' foot container ship NAPOLI, loaded with over 3,000 containers started to break up in the English Channel during a storm. To prevent it from sinking and blocking the channel, the ship was intentionally grounded off the SE coast of the UK. When Titan Maritime was called in to assess the underwater condition of the ship MSC, authorities wanted a rapid assessment due the environmental importance of this area, and the dangerous conditions precluded the use of divers. VideoRay was chosen to survey the hull damage and the entire bottom of the ship. During a several day period in March, a survey was conducted of the hull damage from various locations onboard the grounded ship and the entire hull and ocean bottom from a small 10m boat. This presentation describes the conditions encountered and how the survey was successfully accomplished.
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Fiesta Room

Basic Field Maintenance Procedures This session is a repeat of Monday's session (Classroom Seminar)
Brett Kolb - Technical Service Manager - VideoRay LLC
Every Micro-ROV user - pilot, technician and supervisor - needs to know what is presented in this seminar. Learn how to care for VideoRays, including calibration and simple field repairs.
Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
Location: Palm Room

Underwater - Under Sail - Exploring Great Lakes Shipwrecks with a Side Scan Sonar and an ROV (Classroom Seminar)
Mark Gleason - Chief Marine Scientist - Discovery World
From July 8th through 12th, 2007, a diverse crew left Milwaukee in search of historic shipwrecks. John Chatterton, a star of the Deep Sea Detectives, ROV and Side Scan Experts Mark Gleason, Tom Glebas, and Brian Luzzi and a crew of Sailors from Milwaukee's Discovery World Museum sailed from one wreck to another aboard the tallship Denis Sullivan. They hosted a diverse group of 9 curious students from all age groups that were anxious to learn firsthand the secrets of the shipwrecks - and the technology for finding and exploring them. This presentation will chronicle the trip and the surprises the group experienced.
Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:10 PM
Location: Fiesta Room

Basic Diagnostic Techniques for Troubleshooting Typical ROV Problems This session is a repeat of Monday's session (Classroom Seminar)
Brett Kolb - VideoRay LLC - Even with the best planning, it's inevitable that something can go wrong. This presentation helps you solve typical problems by isolating the exact nature of the failure and provides you with practical tips for how to recover and complete the job successfully.

Wednesday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Palm Room

Technology and Techniques for Conducting Underwater Searches in a Public Safety Environment (Classroom Seminar)
Tom Crossmon / Robin McCauley - St. Louis County (MN)
Finding and retrieving a drowning victim can be very frustrating, particularly if your team does not do this work often. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Volunteer Rescue Squad, in Duluth, Minnesota has been involved in many searches and assisted many neighboring jurisdictions. After studying many aspects of these searchs, they have developed several steps that are critical to success - from interviewing witnesses, to setting the appropriate work shifts for our ROV operators, to appropriate underwater forensic techniques. This presentation will show how to prepare for and manage a search and recovery operation.
Wednesday 9:20 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

ROV Usage in the Implementation of Renewable Energy from Tidal Streams (Classroom Seminar)
Ian MacDonald - Buccaneer
OpenHydro designs and manufactures turbines for deployment in tidal farms throughout the world's oceans. Since OpenHydro provides turnkey installation and maintenance services, providing developers with an end-to-end solution, underwater observation capabilities are required at several stages in the project lifecycle. ROVs play a key role in discovering the ideal location, installation of the turbines, verification of correct operation, and ongoing maintenance inspections.
Wednesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Fiesta Room

Using ROVs to Investigate Leaking and Erosion in Locks and Dams (Classroom Seminar)
Jeff Byars - United States Army Corps of Engineers
This presentation includes information from four projects during which a VideoRay RPV was used to inspect areas of leaks and erosion.
Wednesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Grassy Room

USCG Minot Light Memorial Research (Classroom Seminar)
Carl Shipley - United States Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team - Boston
In June, the US Coast Guard launched an expedition to investigate the wreckage of the Minot Light lighthouse in Cohasset and develop preservation plans, Massachusetts. The lighthouse was destroyed in a storm in April, 1851, a disaster which caused the deaths of two lightkeepers. The USCG team worked with the underwater archeologists from the University of Massachusetts, divers from the Massachusetts Environmental Police, and staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to explore and document the nature of the failure and to place a memorial plaque to honor the keepers.
Wednesday 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: Palm Room

Update - Counter Narcotics Operations in the Caribbean (Classroom Seminar)
David Francis / Alphonso Lewis - Security Administrators, LTD.
Security Administrators has successfully interdicted drug operations on several occasions using VideoRay. In this presentation, some of the operations will be discussed to the extent possible (due to sensitive nature of the ongoing operations).
Wednesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Palm Room

The Use of VideoRay ROVs in Oil and Gas Fields (Classroom Seminar)
Mark Gleason / Randall Bekkers - ROV Pilots - Momentum
Momentum Engineering had been deploying VideoRay ROVs from jack-ups, Semi-Submersibles and dive boats in support of the oil/gas industry. This presentation will cover several examples of how VideoRays have been the perfect tool for drilling support, offshore construction and pipeline inspections, including dives to nearly 1000 feet. We will discuss some of the challenges we faced and how we engineered solutions in the field. Great video footage captured during many oil/gas activities will be presented.
Wednesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Fiesta Room

Remote Operation of ROV's Over the Internet for Science and Education (Classroom Seminar)
Chris Olstad - Operations Director - Marine Resources Development Foundation
Internet technologies have had a profound impact on the distribution and availability of information. Chris Olstad has been working to extend that to a broader real-time sensory experience and the ability to interact remotely. Chris is bringing the experience of operating a VideoRay in the underwater science habitat at Jules'/MRDF to students around the world. Chris will explain how the program works, what benefits are being delivered to far away places and what the future holds.
Wednesday 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Location: Grassy Room

Sonar Applications (Hands-on Workshop)

This session offers the attendees the opportunity to experiment with some of the technology and applications described in the morning's panel discussion on sonar.
Monday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

New User Orientation (Hands-on Workshop)
Mark Gleason/Robin McCauley
The perfect starting place for the new user, this hands-on session explains ROV system components and provides instructions on how to set up and operate a VideoRay. Gain skills and confidence quickly when you learn from an experienced pilot and instructor.
Monday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Conference Center Ground Floor

Advanced Piloting Skills Development - Precision Navigation and Tether Management (Hands-on Workshop)
Tom Crossmon
Explore different strategies and tactics for navigating from Point A to Point B, performing close visual inspections and retrievals in tight spaces, and escaping from serious tether entanglement.
Monday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

Positioning Systems Applications (Hands-on Workshop)

This session offers the attendees the opportunity to experiment with some of the technology and applications described in the morning's panel discussion on positioning systems.
Tuesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

Submerged Object Recovery Tactics and Techniques (Hands-on Workshop)
Tom Crossmon/Steve Van Meter
There are as many ways of recovering submerged objects as there are objects to submerge. This session will explore a wide range of recovery tactics and techniques for objects of all sizes and shapes.
Tuesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

Roundtable - Growing Your ROV Business (Hands-on Workshop)
Steve Van Meter
Join other ROV owners and operators to discuss a variety of topics about starting and running a successful ROV service business.
Tuesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Fiesta Room

Visual Enhancement Technologies and Techniques (Hands-on Workshop)

This session offers the attendees the opportunity to experiment with some of the technology and applications described in the morning's panel discussion on achieving optimal video quality.
Wednesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

Advanced Piloting Skills Development - Working in Currents (Hands-on Workshop)
Mark Gleason / Chris Olstad
Explore different strategies and tactics for operating in currents.
Wednesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)

ROV/Diver Interaction and Communications (Hands-on Workshop)
Chris Huntington
Learn about and practice ROV Pilot and Diver safety, interaction and communication techniques.
Wednesday 1:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: Jules' (Shuttle departs from the Conference Center @ 1:45 PM)