The technology is effective at night and in a wide range of weather conditions. It can also be used from stationary platforms and aboard moving vessels, which is something that sets the Sigma S6 product apart from its competitors. “Some other types of radar or oil-spill detection systems really have to slow the vessel down to keep up,” says Snow. “Our processing power is so strong and so large that it can handle the signals going in.”
The third application for the Sigma S6 technology is small-target detection and surveillance. This has a wide range of uses, including border security, search and rescue, and protecting various structures and vessels form intruders and potential terrorist attacks. “Everybody’s paranoid about somebody coming up on them fast with explosives and causing an incident, so they want to be able to see very small targets going at very high speeds,” says Snow. “If somebody was concerned about security around their offshore platform, we could help them see a target that would not normally be detected by conventional radar.”
Rutter’s ability to create innovative products has made it a world leader in marine technology. Core to the company’s success is the amount of time it devotes to research and development. It is partly for this reason that Rutter entered into a research partnership with the Marine Institute’s School of Ocean Technology in October 2009. The relationship gives Rutter access to the institute’s research vessel, the MV Anne Pierce, where it can test radar products in real-world situations. “Having a research vessel that sails five days a week to support the programs for offshore training is a very convenient and beneficial thing for Rutter Technologies,” says Snow. “It works really well.”
It also works really well for the School of Ocean Technology, according to its director of Applied Research. “From our perspective it’s a very beneficial partnership because we have the opportunity to expose our students to these new technologies,” says Randy Gillespie. “We consider oceans to be as sexy as space exploration in terms of technology, and companies like Rutter are on the leading edge of that.”
To remain on that leading edge, Rutter must continue to refine its existing technology and anticipate what products will appeal to future buyers. Right now, there appears to be an emerging market for radar systems that can distinguish between various kinds of pack ice. First-year ice, for example, is thin and relatively harmless, while older ice is much harder and can easily damage ship hulls. “Anybody who’s serious about ice navigation would know that they’re going to have to differentiate first-year ice and multi-year ice,” says Snow. “So of course we’re looking at it and how we’re going about it is proprietary I would say.”
Snow is pleased with Rutter’s track record and excited about its future. He is confident the business will create many new products in the coming years and remain a pioneer in the field of marine technology. “I think as a company we’re just, pardon the pun, but we’re just at the tip of the iceberg in terms of where we’re going to go with it.”
