Latest news with #Hydrus
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Underwater robot makes grim discovery off Fremantle coast
An underwater robot drone has exposed the extent of a coral reef crisis right on North Fremantle's doorstep. A high-tech robot named Hydrus was deployed last month to capture photos and videos at Hall Bank Reef, which is just off the coast of Port Beach in North Fremantle. But when Dr Alec McGregor went back to the office to stitch together the footage, the 3D digital render painted a dire picture of a barren seabed with lifeless corals. Your local paper, whenever you want it. 'Basically, what we saw was a dramatic reduction in coral cover of the area that we scanned,' he said. The imagery showed severe coral bleaching and fragmentation, which Dr McGregor said laid bare a hidden yet escalating crisis at one of the world's southernmost reefs. Dr McGregor is the senior AI engineer at Advanced Navigation, the company behind the underwater robot launched in 2022. Hydrus — otherwise called an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) — is a small 7kg robot that captures geo-referenced high-resolution imagery and 4K video in parallel. An underwater drone has exposed a serious coral reef crisis right on North Fremantle's doorstep. Credit: Advanced Navigation The footage is then sewn together to create a 3D model of the coral reefs below, which can help provide real examples of current coral bleaching to marine scientists. 'Being able to scan coral reefs every six months, it allows us to get an actual idea of how fast these coral reefs are degrading, and gives those experts the data to make better decisions about how to combat bleaching,' Dr McGregor said. Last month's mission was in collaboration with marine consultancy O2 Marine, which Dr McGregor considered a typical example of the rising number of companies which hire Hydrus. 'There's been a huge uptake in the interest in the marine space,' he said. Dr McGregor is the senior AI engineer at Advanced Navigation, the company behind the underwater robot launched in 2022. Credit: Advanced Navigation 'We have many different customers all over the world and here in Australia that are using the robot for various different application. 'Some customers include the Australian Institute of Marine Science who have been looking at coral reefs up in Ningaloo and at the Great Barrier Reef. 'We also do work in the US for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association ... so people are definitely catching on.' Dr McGregor said findings of a coral-bleached reef at Halls Bank highlighted the growing climate crisis on WA's doorstep. 'It's important that our State Government knows that coral bleaching is actually taking place, that this is not just happening on the Great Barrier Reef but it's also happening in WA,' he said. 'I think that that's something that the government and people in charge should know, and they'll be able to make more informed decisions and data-driven decisions based on that.'
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Smart Metering in Botswana is Reshaping Africa's Water Future
Smart water meters deployed in Mogoditshane, Botswana, enabling real-time monitoring and efficient water management. Image: Supplied In the face of increasing water scarcity and ageing infrastructure, Botswana has taken a bold step forward, marking a significant milestone in sustainable water management. At the heart of this transformation is a powerful partnership between Conlog and Allgreen Holdings, brought to life through the deployment of Conlog's water demand management system. This collaboration is both a business relationship and a shared mission. As Conlog's exclusive distribution partner for water solutions in Botswana, Allgreen Holdings plays a pivotal role in not only delivering the technology, but driving its successful implementation and long-term impact across the region. The partnership began when the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) of Botswana issued a tender for smart prepayment water meters featuring ultrasonic flowmeters. With local expertise and a deep understanding of Botswana's utility needs, Allgreen Holdings approached Conlog for their Smart Water Management solution. The result was a seamless integration of Conlog's with Diehl Metering's Hydrus ultrasonic meter; a combination specifically created to address Botswana's most pressing water challenges. The dedicated teams from Conlog and Allgreen Holdings Image: Supplied The deployment of 11,680 units in Mogoditshane has already proven the efficacy of this solution. These smart meters enable real-time monitoring, consumption control, and improved service delivery. For residents, this translates into accurate billing, reduced water loss, and the power to manage water usage through an easy-to-use prepaid vending platform. For utilities, it brings improved revenue collection, early leak detection, and a significant reduction in non-revenue water. The STS-compliant valve and Diehl's Hydrus ultrasonic meter works in tandem to deliver precise consumption data free from the noise of air or impurities that often distort readings in traditional meters. It's a smart system designed for demanding environments, offering reliable performance where mechanical meters typically fall short. The ultrasonic technology ensures measurements remain accurate regardless of water quality, while the integrated leak detection and tamper alerts drive efficiency and transparency throughout the water supply chain. But while the technology is groundbreaking, it's the local enablement that makes this deployment exceptional. Founded in 2009, Allgreen Holdings is a 100% Botswana-owned company specialising in sustainable, smart metering solutions. Their unique value lies in their deep-rooted commitment to delivering eco-friendly innovations tailored to the needs of both public and private sectors. As the on-the-ground force behind installation, commissioning, and first-line support, Allgreen Holdings is the critical bridge between advanced technology and everyday impact. From managing the Meter Operations Centre and vending system to engaging directly with communities, their role is both technical and transformational. The initial success in Mogoditshane is just the beginning. Further rollouts are planned in surrounding regions including Mmopane, Metsimotlhabe, Gabane, Kumakwane, Mmokolodi, and Tloaneng; areas identified by WUC as priority zones due to rising urbanisation and infrastructure strain. The deployment is more than a utility upgrade. It's a model that emphasises how technology and local partnerships can co-create meaningful change. Residents now have access to reliable, transparent water services. Utilities benefit from operational efficiency, accurate data, and improved revenue assurance; moving Botswana one step closer to a sustainable, water-secure future. The installation of advanced smart water meters is transforming water management in Botswana, providing residents with accurate billing and utilities with improved revenue collection Image: Supplied For Conlog, this initiative is a vital part of a larger mission to expand impactful utility solutions across the SADC region. Guided by its impact strategy – 'enriching lives by connecting people with the resources they need to thrive' – Conlog views the Botswana project as a scalable template for addressing similar challenges across the continent. The success of this partnership is a testament to what's possible when innovative technology meets local insight, and when companies unite around a shared purpose. With Allgreen Holdings and Conlog's at the forefront, Botswana is proving that water sustainability isn't just an ideal, it's an achievable reality.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb telescope zooms in on bizarre 'Einstein ring' caused by bending of the universe
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a stunning image of a bizarre astronomical optical illusion. This "rare cosmic phenomenon", called an Einstein ring, appears as a single eye-like orb in the darkness of space, but is actually a distorted view of two distant galaxies in the constellation Hydrus. In the bright center of this cosmic spectacle is one galaxy, while the stretched orange and blue color surrounding it is the light from another galaxy located behind it. The light from the more distant galaxy looks like a ring because it has been distorted by gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing occurs when the gravity of a massive object — like a galaxy or a black hole — bends the light from a more distant object. This effect is a direct consequence of Einstein's theory of relativity, which states that mass warps the fabric of space-time, causing light to follow curved paths, like a ball rolling down a curved slope. "This effect is much too subtle to be observed on a local level, but it sometimes becomes clearly observable when dealing with curvatures of light on enormous, astronomical scales," ESA representatives wrote in a statement. This latest image was released by ESA and the Canadian Space Agency today (March 27) as their March picture of the month. It was captured by JWST's Near-InfraRed Camera instrument and also includes data from the Wide Field Camera 3 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Related: 42 jaw-dropping James Webb Space Telescope images Einstein rings like these are created when the distant light source, the massive lensing object, and the observer are perfectly aligned, resulting in the light appearing as a complete ring wrapped around the lensing object. As a result, they are rare. In this case, the elliptical galaxy in the foreground — which is part of a galaxy cluster named SMACSJ0028.2-7537 — is so massive that it is bending the light of the spiral galaxy situated far behind it. "Even though its image has been warped as its light travelled around the galaxy in its path, individual star clusters and gas structures are clearly visible," according to the statement The fascinating phenomenon of gravitational lensing also allows astronomers to better understand the universe. RELATED STORIES —James Webb telescope captures auroras on Neptune for first time ever —James Webb telescope reveals 'cosmic tornado' in best detail ever — and finds part of it is not what it seems —'Unlike any objects we know': Scientists get their best-ever view of 'space tornadoes' howling at the Milky Way's center Light emitted from distant galaxies, which existed long ago in the past, is often too faint to be observed directly from Earth. Strong gravitational lensing magnifies these galaxies, making them appear larger and brighter, and allowing astronomers to study some of the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang. "Objects like these are the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherwise see," the ESA statement noted. Additionally, because black holes and dark matter don't emit light, scientists can use gravitational lensing to detect and study these phenomena by measuring how they bend and magnify background stars.
