KAILUA-KONA — A new tech company in Kona is working toward automating the sea.
Tridentis Advanced Marine Vehicles (AMV) took up residence at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority last November, where it is developing an autonomous, unmanned marine vehicle for use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
With Tridentis AMV’s tech, NOAA will measure water quality and monitor the state’s coral reefs, which remain in peril following the worst coral bleaching events in history, just a few years ago.
The vehicle will be equipped with multiple sensors capable of capturing water quality, temperature and coral reef color, along with other relevant environmental data.
NELHA provides Tridentis AMV with proximity to air transport facilities at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole and access to both sustainable energy start-ups and the Hawaiian Ocean and Science and Technology Park.
Tridentis AMV is, in turn, providing Kona with tech-based job opportunities county and state politicians have pined for as a mechanism to diversify industry throughout the islands and retain homegrown Hawaiian talent rather than watch it slip away to the mainland.
To that end, the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) — which operates under the umbrella of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism — awarded Tridentis AMV with a Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research (HSBIR) grant to help accelerate development of its product’s foundational technology.
A subsidiary of the national tech company Tridentis, LLC, founded in Virginia, Tridentis AMV is now hiring engineers with experience in the field of autonomous and unmanned vehicles, specifically those familiar with sensors, artificial intelligence, controls, battery systems, robotics and imaging.
“HTDC gave us business advisers to counsel us in the hiring process, in addition to providing a Phase I HSBIR grant,” said David Jochum, CEO and founder of Tridentis AMV, in a press release. “HTDC has been instrumental in helping us reach the next level in technological development.”
The HSBIR grant program invests in the state’s tech and innovation sector, bringing in about $20 in federal money for every $1 invested by the state.
Tridentis AMV also received mentorship from HTDC’s Neighbor Island Innovation Initiative, which provides technical and business assistance to small and early stage tech companies on neighbor islands.
Jochum said his hope is to further expand Tridentis AMV and make Kona the global center for unmanned and autonomous marine vehicles.