Seabed Classification Capability

For the military, for example, it is extremely important to know the bottom types that will allow mines or underwater improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to be buried easily and therefore hidden from side-scanning sonar. The classification map will enable military planners to select a route that avoids areas where mines and IEDs might be difficult to detect.

According to John Gann, Chesapeake founder and CTO, the idea for this originally came from customers. The new version also will generate a collection of polygons in GIS and CAD compatible formats that enables users to integrate the classification outputs with other seabed maps and products, a feature that customers will particularly appreciate.

The SonarWiz seabed classification generates a colour-coded map where each colour represents a class of seafloor material or aggregate. The classification map also can be combined with ground-truthing to extrapolate the survey results over a wide area, reducing the amount of bottom sampling required.

Dr. Arthur Trembanis from the University of Delaware has been using the new seabed classification feature for several months. "We've been impressed with how quickly SonarWiz 5 generates the classification maps and how easy this feature is to use. It's been a great asset for our benthic habitat mapping efforts in support of various offshore marine spatial planning projects."

All SonarWiz 5 users receive this enhancement for free as part of their Chesapeake software maintenance agreement. Any users of earlier CTI applications who choose to upgrade to SonarWiz 5 also will receive this new capability.