Trondheim is Norway’s innovation capital, and students are in the centre of innovation. Trondheim’s students are passionate about technology, and many are working towards a better future with cutting-edge technology and pioneering adaptations. One of the companies who encourage students to be innovative is DNV GL.

DNV GL is one of the founding members of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Their Trondheim office is working on digital solutions, technology, and innovation within the maritime and energy sector. Each year, DNV GL accepts new students into their summer program, where they are working on a project called ReVolt. 

ReVolt is a student-driven project by DNV GL, where the students build and develop systems for an autonomous boat. Many of the students decide to continue working on ReVolt after the summer and write their master’s thesis about the project. The project was conceived in 2014 as an autonomous close traffic concept, and a physical model of the boat was produced in 2016. Their mentor, Tom Arne Pedersen, has been a part of ReVolt since the project started in Trondheim in 2017. He is responsible for the students working on ReVolt, and is working closely with the students during the summer.

–  It’s a lot of fun being the mentor on ReVolt! I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t enjoyable. This year has been a bit different because of COVID-19, but we have had long discussions on Teams, and this year’s students are great to work with, says Pedersen. 

We also met two students who had already finished a year on ReVolt and are now at the finish line to complete their studies. Simen Sem Øvereng and Knut Turøy have had a year to develop their systems, and today they were out on the sea performing benchmark tests and collecting data. 

During this summer three new students, Frederik Veslum, Magne Sirnes, and Paal Arthur Thorseth, will work together to familiarize themselves with ReVolt. They will be doing maintenance and making sure the boat is the best possible condition. In addition, they will learn about the ongoing projects on ReVolt and see how they can implement new systems or further develop already existing systems.

– I’m looking forward to developing a system of my own. DNV GL has an excellent platform for simulations and a great physical model of the boat. I see this as very valuable for being able to develop a thorough system. I am considering myself very lucky to have access to such a professional and detailed system, Thorseth says. 

The students, along with Tom Arne, will work for four more weeks on the project before school starts again in August. We congratulate Simen and Knut with their master’s theses and good luck to Fredrik, Magnus and Paal with their exciting year at DNV GL and master’s theses!