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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1332052
When does a tool become a worker? That's the fine line International Submarine Engineering is exploring with its autonomous underwater vehicles ( AUVs), used for per- forming tasks in environments hostile to human beings, such as under polar ice sheets. Port Coquitlam–based ISE's swimming robots are pre- programmed to do their jobs and even make decisions on their own. "There are no humans in the loop," says Luke Alden, mechanical designer for the 46-year-old company. That means they keep doing their work when communications are interrupted, and without the need for oxygen like a manned submersible, they can operate continuously underwater for up to 60 hours. Say there's an oil spill around a drilling platform; the AUV can chart how far it's spread. There are now 16 of ISE's Explorer class AUVs in service around the world, working for offshore survey companies, energy firms and universi- ties. The next generation of vehicles will be more compact and energy-efficient, capable of being recharged while still in the water (possibly by autonomous ships) and performing physical tasks in addition to measurement, Alden says. –M.M. F O O D A b ove and Beyond What's innovative about flipping burgers? Well, what if those burgers aren't made with meat? In the fall of 2018, A&W Food Services of Canada became the first fast-food chain in North America to add plant protein-based Beyond Meat patties to its menu, and unlike another chain with strong Canadian ties, Tim Hortons, they stayed there. But this was just one in a series of moves under the leadership of president and CEO Susan Senecal designed to make A&W's 950 outlets known as the greenest, healthi- est fast-food option in the country. Before that, the chain switched to beef raised without hormones or steroids and chicken without antibiotics, eggs from grain-fed hens and organic Fairtrade coffee– all served in reusable mugs and ceramic plates or biodegradable takeout packaging. The company's test kitchen in North Vancouver, the A&W Innovation Centre, even runs on renewable biogas. –M.M. R O B O T I C S D ee p T hinker REMOTE WORK An ISE autonomous sub takes care of business 38 BCBUSINESS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 PA RT T WO