Phil Nuytten

Phil Nuytten
Born 1941
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Citizenship Canadian
Occupation Entrepreneur, deep-ocean explorer, scientist, inventor
Years active 1955-present
Employer Self
Organization Nuytco Research Ltd.
Known for Newtsuit

R. T. "Phil" Nuytten (born 1941) is a Canadian entrepreneur, deep-ocean explorer, scientist, inventor of the Newtsuit, and founder of Nuytco Research Ltd.[1][2][3]

He has pioneered designs related to diving equipment,[3] and has worked with NASA for more than 25 years on applications related undersea and space technologies.[2]

Today, his equipment is used by a wide range of organizations, including the National Geographic Society, NASA, and is standard for almost a dozen navies.[3]

Early life

Nuytten was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is a Métis. He was subsequently formally adopted into the Kwakiutl nation.[3] While still in his teens, he began to design diving gear, and opened the first dive shop in Western Canada.[3]

Career

Nuytten has worked in numerous countries as a commercial diver. In his work for the commercial, scientific, and military industries, he has developed equipment and deep-water diving, and technical diving techniques.[2]

During the 1960s and 1970s, Nuytten was involved in the development of mixed-gas decompression tables. He was part of a team that accomplished the first 600 FSW (feet of seawater) ocean "bounce" dives on Project Nesco.[2]

In the 1970s, he co-founded Oceaneering International, Inc. This company became one of the largest underwater skills companies in the world.[2]

In 1983, Nuytten appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine due to his dives into arctic waters to the HMS Breadalbane.[2][4]

Media appearances

Print

Resulting from his contributions to marine diving technologies, Nuytten has appeared in the media numerous times, including: National Geographic Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Popular Science, Discovery, Fortune, Scientific American and Business Week.[2]

Film and television

For twenty years, Nuytten has been featured in, and worked on the production of films and television programs based on technology he developed, such as:[1]

Nuytten provided the submersibles and was the senior technical advisor for the film The Abyss. His Newtsuit is featured in the IMAX movie Flight of the Aquanaut.[1]

Newtsuit

A Newtsuit
Main article: Newtsuit

In 1979, Nuytten started work on the Newtsuit, a one-atmosphere diving suit. The revolutionary new design features fully articulated rotary joints.[5] This patented breakthrough design is now used in many subsequent atmospheric diving suits.[2]

Exosuit

In 2000, Nuytten announced that he is developing a new type ultra lightweight powered exoskeleton called the Exosuit This new designed is being considered for use as a submarine escape device by the Canadian Department of Defense.[2]

Awards and commendations

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Nuytten CV" (PDF). Gallant Aquatic Ventures International. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Phil Nuytten, Ph.D. - NOGI". Auas-nogi.org. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Rolex Awards for Enterprise > Press Room > 2008 Selection Committee > Phil Nuytten". Rolexawards.com. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  4. ↑ MacInnis, Joseph B. (July 1983). "Exploring a 140-Year-Old Ship Under Arctic Ice". National Geographic (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society) 164 (1): 104A–104D.
  5. ↑ Kesling, Doug E. "Atmospheric Diving Suits – New Technology May Provide ADS Systems that are Practical and Cost-Effective Tools for Conducting Safe Scientific Diving, Exploration, and Undersea Research". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2011. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 30th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS; 2011. Retrieved 2013-03-06.

External links