Press Releases
and News Features

Transcend Press Releases

SCIMPI Modules Offer Cost Effective Borehole Monitoring

Bethel, VT USA — November 15, 2025 — Transcend Engineering, based in Bethel, has developed a suite of sensors called SCIMPI (Simple Cabled Instrument for Measuring Parameters In-Situ) that help scientists study the Earth’s processes beneath the seafloor.

This summer, a Transcend Engineering team joined an international expedition miles off Nantucket, where researchers have discovered a vast reservoir of fresh water beneath the seafloor. The $25 million Expedition 501 of the International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP3) – led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) – used the research vessel L/B Robert to bore more than 1,200 feet into the ocean floor.

Several SCIMPI modules were installed in these boreholes to record pressure, temperature, and electrical resistivity, providing long-term data on water movement beneath the seafloor and changes in the seabed over time.

SCIMPI development originated in 2006 with ocean researcher Dr. Kate Moran, now CEO of Ocean Networks Canada, who envisioned a simpler, more affordable deep-sea monitoring system. Transcend Engineering founder Stephen Farrington helped develop the technology and continued refining it after the end of U.S. ocean drilling funding in 2024.

“Since the first SCIMPI, we’ve significantly improved instrument sensitivity and extended operational life,” Farrington explains. “Modules can now operate for four to six years without refreshment. The system’s modular design and cost efficiency make deep borehole observation more accessible to more research teams.”

Each SCIMPI is built in Vermont and personally delivered by the Transcend team to the drilling site where they ensure successful installation. With data from the continental shelf of New England now accumulating in two SCIMPI systems, Transcend Engineering is developing the next generation of SCIMP with additional sensors to support future ocean science missions worldwide.

/end

Transcend Engineering Announces Significant Upgrades to Flood Awareness App

Bethel, VT — October 24, 2025 — This week, Transcend Engineering announced a significant upgrade to its RiverAware(TM) mobile device app for monitoring river conditions across America.

The app delivers real-time river conditions from over 14,000 USGS stream gages as well as notifications of extreme weather events. Users can set custom alerts for water levels of concern, keep an eye on conditions in multiple reaches, view historical water levels and flows, and share local and regional conditions through text, email, and social media.

New enhancements include push notifications for NWS extreme weather alerts at multiple user-specified locations, access to water level forecasts where available from the NWS, and a daily news feed of flooding within the nation linking each article to real-time river conditions in the reported area.

Since its launch earlier this year, RiverAware(TM) has grown to thousands of users nationwide and has risen to the top 25% of most downloaded apps within the first six months of release in the Apple App Store. RiverAwareTM supports local resilience efforts by making critical river and flood data more accessible and actionable.

/end