Conference Alert: Deep Space Deep Ocean

“Deep is the well of truth and long does it take to know what has fallen into its depths” -- Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)

A previous post (http://desulf.blogspot.com/2014/10/conference-alert-deep-space-deep-ocean.html) described the Aramco Deep Space Deep Ocean conference, but a recent email alerted me to the fact that more details are available.  In particular, the event includes five “Deep Dive” tracks, described below ..

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Deep Dive 1: Risk Management & Reliability
In the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident and since passage of new regulations by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) – offshore operators, suppliers, and drilling companies have focused more intensely on the looming risks that exist when operating in deep-water environments. This track will cover: Advanced Risk Assessment, The Future Direction of Regulation; Big Data Analytics; Prognostics; Advanced Sensors; Human-Machine Interface; and Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Design and Modeling. Join representatives from top O&G companies, NASA – JSC/JPL, BSEE, National Laboratories, ASME, university researchers, suppliers and solution providers to map the challenges and examine best practices and technologies to achieve greater organizational safety and performance.

Deep Dive 2: Robotics & Automation
The aerospace industry is known for its research, development and use of robotics – such as the Mars Rovers – to navigate and operate in some of the harshest environments imaginable. The oil and gas industry is also moving further into unexplored territories – deeper waters and remote, rugged terrains – and its engineers are realizing that the use of advanced robotics and other automation processes to create smart drilling rigs and more is becoming critical to accomplishing their company’s mission. This track will give participants an in-depth analysis of the similar challenges faced by the petroleum and aerospace industries in using real-time operation centers to remotely communicate with and direct distant operations.

The sessions will cover command and control remote monitoring and operations, robotics, and full-scale automation. Part of the track will address accelerating adoption of automation in the drilling industry, based on experiences by NASA and lessons learned from industrial automation. Presentations will also cover control systems, systems architecture, communications protocols, and sensors. Critical to the success of automation is application of human factors engineering – automation does not eliminate the need for humans, rather it changes the roles of personnel in both space and in the petroleum industries.

Deep Dive 3: Advanced Technologies & Materials
The pursuit of new energy resources in harsher environmental territories is giving rise to a critical need for next-generation materials and advanced technologies for drilling, manufacturing and testing. Engineers are finding that some materials originally designed for traditional operating environments are less capable of withstanding more rigorous conditions. Discussions will focus on the opportunities for both industries to work together in developing advanced materials and technologies that will help give those organizations involved the leading edge. This track will cover: ROVs and battery power, drilling advances, and optimizing remote capabilities to meet demands in challenging environments.

Deep Dive 4: Synergy Between Industries
Both the aerospace and oil and gas industries have made remarkable contributions to society – providing affordable and accessible energy sources; breakthroughs in information and engineering technologies; earth, space and medical sciences; and hope and opportunity throughout the generations. They launched a new era of progress and quite literally changed the world. It is only natural that these two industries come together to do even more than what they could do individually.

Discussions will focus on creating synergistic energies, sparking innovation, and turning great ideas on developing advanced technologies into another era of successful achievement. Topics include the use of 3D printing, industrial use of augmented reality in view of real-world tasks, the success of telemedicine and how this technology is expanding into other areas, and the latest on developing joint ventures in today’s IP environment.

Deep Dive 5: Cybersecurity & Big Data Analysis
The topic of cybersecurity is dominating the headlines, as more and more organizations and individuals are falling victim to malicious attacks. The challenge today is being able to remain a step or two ahead of the cyber criminals by employing technologies that can detect and prevent an intrusion and, in the case of an attack, minimize the effect on a company’s network and data stores. Most vulnerable these days are industrial control systems and devices that, if compromised, can have a devastating effect. Organizations are increasingly turning to “Big Data” analysis to keep a constant eye on their massive data systems – to detect and prevent malicious network activities, as well as improve the management of control systems that support the infrastructure. This track will explore how the cyber threat environment is evolving, how that is impacting security thinking, and how Big Data analytics can be a solution for both industrial and security challenges.

Source: source: http://www.cvent.com/events/deep-space-deep-ocean-exploring-crossover-technologies-in-the-space-and-energy-sectors/custom-19-6827ec94706b45a1bfc55cbf5f53d2e6.aspx
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The Aramco conference is not a mega event.  But that is actually a factor in its favor.  Because it is a smaller venue, you are more likely to meet people than you might do at a larger gathering. 

The conference is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7 – Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, Houston, Texas.

TIP: Follow this Blog (www.desulf.blogspot.com) for a continuing series of posts that can help you advance your research career.