Transcript – Unleashing innovation with Kraken Robotics
David Shea
Chief Technology Officer
Kraken Robotics
Kraken Robotics is a marine technology company. We specialize in mine countermeasures and mine-hunting solutions, high-resolution seabed intelligence solutions and seabed mapping systems.
We got involved in the Innovative Solutions Canada program when we were working with the Fleet Diving Unit here in Halifax, Nova Scotia and looking for a way to get our technology and our sensors into the hands of the operators more quickly and get them exposure to the cutting-edge technology that we're building and delivering here at Kraken.
Roland Leyte
Director of Diving
Royal Canadian Navy
When I first heard about the Innovative Solutions Canada program, I was very excited because as a project manager in Ottawa, it takes a long time to get projects through, typically about a five year process. With Innovative Solutions Canada, it's a one-year plan. You sign for the innovation, you figure out the test plan and you trial it all within a year.
Bill Donovan
Vice President, Project Management & HSEQ
Kraken Robotics
We were made aware of the Testing Stream through some of our partnerships but I don't know if we would have taken that step without the Canadian Navy saying, "Yes, we want you to do this and we want you to do it with us as your partner."
Roland:
With Kraken Robotics, I went and met with the company. We already had the Remus Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and we were looking for a sonar with more capability than what came with the robot originally. We put together the paperwork and how we were going to trial it to confirm how it worked against our robot and then compare it against the others.
So we also had Naval Engineering Test Establishment, NETE, and we also had Defence Research Development Canada. They were testing a large number of sonars and then we had them do the Kraken sonar also and it came out to be the best sonar of the bunch.
Bill:
We finished that program in March of '22 and here we are today in February of '23 and we're having conversations with that same partner about building long-term, providing services, providing platforms, providing technologies that are going to make them a stronger Navy.
Dave:
The ISC program has been a very valuable tool in enabling our growth. It's allowed us to take these testing results around the world. It's allowed us to demonstrate a valuable relationship with the Canadian Navy as we go and market these solutions internationally and it's allowed us to actually innovate and improve the capabilities that we're delivering.
The ISC program is really just an enabler for that. It breaks down a lot of the barriers of procurement. It provides a funding mechanism. It provides a contractual relationship that allows the users and the service providers, the technology providers and the SMEs to connect in a fast and efficient way.
Kraken Robotics is a marine technology company specializing in advanced mine countermeasures and mine hunting solutions. At first, Kraken Robotics was hesitant to plunge into the unknown territory of Innovative Solution Canada’s funding program, but with the unwavering support, validation, and guidance of the Royal Canadian Navy, they decided to take the leap! Having worked with Kraken Robotics before on robotic technology, the Navy sought the expertise of the company in creating a robot with an advanced underwater sonar system. Together, they underwent testing trials and built a cutting-edge sonar robot. With the instrumental support of ISC’s funding, Kraken Robotics has cultivated an international presence, secured long-lasting partnerships and strengthened its commitment to delivering high-quality technology.