Sentinel Robotic Solutions, with the Virginia Institute of Spaceflight & Autonomy, Demonstrates Ground-breaking Ship to Shore Communication Technology on the Eastern Shore 

Wallops Island, VA – December 10, 2020

Sentinel Robotic Solutions recently demonstrated the ability to provide video, voice and data from a ship close to 90 Nautical Miles over the horizon, to a land-based Navy Operations Center at Wallops Island, Virginia. This innovative demonstration has given the end-user a more cost-effective and reliable means of getting secure information from ship to shore without using expensive satellite technology. 

Advanced communication systems are starting to be widely utilized in building highly capable networks for the Department of Defense, First Responders, and areas with limited radio connectivity. Supporting the Navy’s Surface Combat Systems Center, Wallops Island, the SRS-led team held a full-scale demonstration of a Silvus-based mesh network, with high fidelity voice, HD-video streaming, and high bandwidth data transfer from land-based stations to over the horizon ship-based platforms at ranges close to 90 Nautical Miles, via an airborne relay. 

The leading technical team from Silvus Technologies and Optimum Solutions, provided equipment and their expertise in the latest technologies of MI-MO waveforms, mesh networks, and high-gain tracking antenna systems to support the demonstration. 

With the network proven highly effective, more radio relay nodes could be added to the network to cover expanding range operating areas. This will support the growing number of U.S Navy missions, NASA launch operations, and scientific research at Wallops Island. 

The project not only proved the effectiveness of the technology, but also serves to ignite innovation, economic growth, and workforce development on the Eastern Shore. Teaming with Eastern Shore Community College, two students interned with SRS in support of the project. This opportunity provided valuable experience for the students, and proved that the Eastern Shore can build and provide a technically-educated workforce to support its growth. 

This capability is one of many examples of innovation that the ODU VISA team and small technology businesses, such as SRS, are bringing to the region. Under Dr. Bowles’ leadership, VISA is supporting a boom for the local Eastern Shore economy and the economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This project, as well as other VISA supported initiatives, will have a direct positive impact on the economy for the region, not only in new business and job creation, but the secondary positive impacts the revenue will generate. 

Peter Bale, CEO of SRS stated, “We are proud to be a part of the dynamic and growing Eastern Shore. This is the start of a bright future for the implementation of communication and range instrumentation technologies to Wallops Island.” SRS is one of very few innovation companies on The Virginia Eastern Shore, and proud winner of this VISA funded grant opportunity. 

 Contact: 

John Robinson, Chief Operating Officer 

757-824-0600 / john.robinson@srsgrp.com