SEATTLE, March 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OceanGate Inc., a provider of deep-sea manned submersible solutions, announces the official launch of the revolutionary 5-person submersible, Cyclops 1, and its Eye On The Sanctuaries Tour. OceanGate will host a 2-day launch event, March 10-11, at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle.
The submersible, developed through a widely praised collaboration between the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at the University of Washington and OceanGate, will debut at a private event on the evening of March 10th. The launch concludes on March 11th with both a media and an educational event at which the OceanGate Foundation will provide 200 Seattle area students in grades kindergarten through high school, the opportunity to experience science in action by experimenting with buoyancy, touring the submersible, and learning firsthand the impact of Inspiration Through Exploration®.
"After years of planning and development, we are ready to introduce OceanGate's next-generation manned submersible," states Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate. "The technologies employed and adapted for Cyclops will enable OceanGate to open the oceans for exploration, research, and the responsible use of marine resources".
Cyclops 1 is the first step in a development program designed to meet demand from government and commercial clients for more advanced technologies and capabilities at deeper depths. Cyclops 1 showcases a number of systems critical for the 3,000 and 6,000-meter capable Cyclops 2 & 3 submersibles scheduled for launch in 2016. Cyclops 1, limited by its steel pressure vessel to a maximum 500 meters (1,600 feet) dive depth, will spend 2015 on OceanGate's Eye on the Sanctuaries Tour; a cross-country campaign, developed in collaboration with the NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, dedicated to raising ocean awareness through executing missions at historic locations and sanctuaries in the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic. Dive sites include the Farallon Islands, the Flower Gardens, and the Battle of the Atlantic.
"Science that connects the public through the human connection is critical, and today technology provides researchers access to directly observe, inspect and report on the state of what lies below the surface," states Dr. James Delgado, archaeologist and undersea explorer who currently is the Director of the Maritime Heritage Program in NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Cyclops' features include an enhanced automated control system to monitor life support, power management, navigation and other critical system diagnostics, as well as the latest sonar from Teledyne BlueView and a new advanced visual imaging system from Battelle. Using a combination of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) technology and innovative system architecture designed by APL and OceanGate's internal engineering group, the automated control system aims to revolutionize how manned submersibles operate by reducing time spent on vehicle control and increasing time on mission objectives. This control system will also improve mission safety by reducing opportunity for user error. Other advances include new hydrodynamic components designed to maximize the submersible's in-water speed and maneuverability, and a redesigned interior, which will enhance the client experience and increase productivity.
"The completion of Cyclops 1 represents a successful public/private collaboration in which design challenges and obstacles were overcome using adaptive technologies as illustrated by the use of a hand-held gaming controller as both the steering wheel and gas pedal for the next-generation submersible" states David Dyer, APL Principal Engineer.
About OceanGate Inc.
OceanGate Inc. is a privately held, Seattle, WA-based company. Founded in 2009, OceanGate provides manned submersible services for industry, research, and exploration. The company's core capabilities include providing deep-sea technology testing platforms, underwater site survey and inspection services, underwater scientific research and data collection, and underwater film and media facilitation. Clients of OceanGate rely on extreme flexibility, mobility, cost effectiveness, and operational superiority. OceanGate is committed to opening the oceans and ensuring the responsible use of marine resources.
OceanGate's manned submersible Cyclops represents an innovative approach to submersible design that takes advantage of new materials, existing commercial off-the-shelf technologies, and efficient operations to support the world's growing need for on-site, real-time collaboration at depth.
www.oceangate.com