Water Linked

10/07/2026

Summer means our interns are in full swing and if you caught our last post, you already got a sneak peek at what they've been up to.

Now feels like the perfect time to share a story that shows just how far that first internship can go.

Julie Ryan started at Water Linked as an intern in HR, still a student figuring out what "real" work would look like.

Fast forward, and she's grown alongside the company, taking on more responsibility, more trust, and a role that's become a genuine career.

Curious how an internship turned into so much more? 👇

Read Julie's full story here:

https://www.waterlinked.com/blog/careers-2/the-internship-that-became-a-career-meet-julie-ryan-37

During her bachelor’s degree in Organisational Psychology, HR and Leadership at BI Trondheim, Julie Ryan was introduced to Water Linked at an internship career day hosted by the university.

03/07/2026

Yesterday, our summer interns put theory into practice during a full day of field testing at Korsvika.

Working with Thilo Huck, they collected data to compare selected 2D sonar with Water Linked’s 3D sonar. Using a BlueROV2, they inspected a shipwreck while capturing data from both sonar systems simultaneously. The objective was to build a comparable dataset and gain deeper insights into the differences between 2D and 3D sonar performance in a real underwater environment.

Meanwhile, another team focused on magnetometer calibration. By calculating heading from the magnetometer and comparing it with a dual-antenna GPS heading reference, they evaluated different calibration routines and algorithms to benchmark their accuracy and performance.

A great day of hands-on testing, teamwork and real-world learning for our summer interns.

26/06/2026

When defense, research, and industry come together, innovation accelerates.

Recently, Water Linked joined representatives from the Norwegian Navy, Sintef, NTNU - Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, and leading Norwegian ocean technology companies in Trondheim to discuss how collaboration between defense, research, and industry can strengthen maritime security in an increasingly complex environment.

During the event, our Business Development Manager, Alejandro Basauri-Vega, presented how Water Linked's compact underwater technologies can help enable this transition.

A key focus was the Sonar 3D-15 - our real-time forward-looking multibeam imaging sonar that delivers intuitive 3D point cloud imagery with every acoustic ping.

By providing operators and autonomous systems with a clearer understanding of their underwater surroundings, it supports safer navigation, obstacle avoidance, and better decision-making, even in challenging conditions.

The discussions also explored how technologies like ours can contribute to:
🔹 Underwater surveillance and port security
🔹 Mine countermeasure operations
🔹 Diver safety and underwater navigation
🔹 Autonomous maritime systems

It was a great day of knowledge sharing and collaboration, demonstrating the strength of Norway's ocean technology ecosystem and the importance of bringing together industry, academia, and defense to tackle tomorrow's challenges.

Read the full article to learn more about the event and how Water Linked is contributing to the future of underwater operations.

Water Linked joined a gathering of leading representatives from the Norwegian Navy, researchers from SINTEF and NTNU, and several innovative ocean technology companies in Trondheim.

22/06/2026

A new chapter begins for Water Linked.

We are excited to share that Water Linked has become part of NORBIT ASA, marking an important milestone in our journey to advance underwater autonomy.

Since 2013, our mission has been to enable underwater vehicles and operators to navigate, communicate, and understand their surroundings with greater confidence. Today, our technologies support customers across marine robotics, offshore energy, defence, research, and underwater infrastructure projects worldwide.

By joining forces with NORBIT, we gain access to a broader technology ecosystem, deeper expertise in underwater acoustics, and a global platform that will help accelerate innovation and deliver even more value to our customers and partners.

We're incredibly proud of what we've built together with our customers, partners, and employees and even more excited about what comes next.

Read the full news here:
https://www.waterlinked.com/blog/news-1/water-linked-joins-norbit-expanding-the-future-of-underwater-autonomy-35

18/06/2026

The future of marine robotics is being shaped by the next generation of engineers and we're excited to be part of that journey.

Recently, we welcomed two talented NTNU - Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Marine Robotics students to Water Linked, where they gained hands-on experience tackling real-world underwater robotics challenges.

Collaborations between academia and industry help drive innovation, develop talent, and strengthen the future of our industry. A big thank you to our interns for their enthusiasm and contributions. We look forward to following your careers.

Read the full story and learn more about their experience below 👇

At Water Linked, we’re proud to support the next generation of marine robotics engineers through close collaboration with NTNU’s Marine Robotics program.

08/06/2026

🌊 Happy World Oceans Day! 🌍

The ocean connects us all. It powers global trade, supports communities and livelihoods, and sustains life on our planet.

At Water Linked, we're proud to support those working beneath the surface by enabling underwater autonomy through positioning, navigation, and communication technologies. From ocean research and environmental monitoring to offshore operations, these tools help make underwater work safer, smarter, and more efficient.

As our understanding of the ocean continues to grow, so does our responsibility to explore and use it sustainably.

Here's to healthy oceans, continued innovation, and responsible stewardship of our blue planet.

05/06/2026

That’s a wrap on ICRA 2026.

The exhibition floor is packed away and after three busy days in Vienna, we’re heading home with plenty of new ideas, conversations, and inspiration.

Today’s program covered everything from global perspectives on “Robots for All”, robot perception, planning, human-robot interaction, and even discussions around the return on investment in humanoid robotics. It was a good reflection on how broad and fast-moving the robotics industry has become and how important reliable sensing remains across all these applications.

At the Water Linked stand, we spent the day connecting with visitors curious about our Sonar 3D-15 and DVL products, exchanging ideas and discussing the challenges they are solving beneath the surface.

While the robots may have been the stars of the show, the most interesting insights came from the conversations around them. Throughout the week, we met people tackling very different challenges underwater, from academic research and prototype development to real-world commercial operations. The openness to share knowledge, discuss ideas, and learn from one another is what makes events like ICRA so valuable and so enjoyable to be part of.

A big thank you to everyone who visited the stand, attended Anton’s presentation, joined the Sonar 3D discussions, participated in the ROV challenge, and shared feedback, ideas, and real-world experiences.

And of course, thank you to the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) team for bringing together such a diverse mix of academia, industry, startups, and end users under one roof.

Now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned this week and put it to work.

See you at the next dive, deployment, field trial or conference.

Scott McLay | Alejandro Basauri-Vega | Assel Issina | Anton Kulyakhtin

04/06/2026

Day 2 at ICRA 2026: A Day Under Sonar Focus 🌊

We kicked off the morning with a presentation by Anton Kulyakhtin , one of the key masterminds behind Water Linked Sonar 3D. Anton took the audience through the story behind the technology, the challenges that inspired its development, and the value it brings to underwater operations today.

Throughout the day, our team welcomed both familiar faces and new connections at the stand, thank you all for stopping by!

A special highlight was seeing Marios Xanthidis, present his poster session:

“Characterization, Calibration, and Estimation Pipelines for the First Compact 3D Sonar”

The work showcases how our compact 3D sonar can be effectively characterized, calibrated, and integrated into estimation pipelines for underwater robotics. The results demonstrate robust mapping and localization capabilities in challenging environments such as caves, tunnels, and low-visibility structures, highlighting the growing impact of compact acoustic sensing in autonomous underwater operations.

To round off the day, we announced the winner of our prize draw among participants who took on our interactive challenge. Visitors had the chance to pilot an ROV in a virtual game, navigate a demanding underwater environment, detect mines using Sonar 3D, and see firsthand how acoustic perception enables operators to succeed where visibility alone is not enough.

Can we simply say that Day 2 was all about sonar? We think so. 🔊

Tomorrow is the final day of both the exhibition and conference, and we’d love to see you there.

📍 Hall B, Stand 100

Stop by, meet the team and let’s talk about the future of underwater robotics.

03/06/2026

This week Water Linked welcomed a U.S. delegation to Trondheim, including representatives from the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Navy Task Force 66, and several leading American ocean-tech companies.

The visit included discussions and demonstrations of our portfolio and Sonar 3D-15, highlighting how underwater positioning, navigation, inspection, and sensing technologies can support the next generation of subsea operations.

Together with fellow Trondheim innovators, we also took part in a hands-on demo day showcasing the strength of the region’s ocean-tech ecosystem and the collaboration between industry, academia, and public stakeholders.

Thank you to Ocean Autonomy Cluster, Frode Halvorsen, and everyone who contributed to a great visit. We look forward to continuing the dialogue.

Blueye Robotics
Maritime Robotics
Kongsberg Maritime
Blue Ocean Gear
Tocaro Blue
OPT
Ocean Motion Technologies
Torstein Ulriksen Skogseth
Pål Rune Johansen

https://www.waterlinked.com/blog/news-1/showcasing-norwegian-innovation-32