Dolphin Sea View 2D Sonar
A compact 2D sonar that provides high-frequency real-time imagery has been developed for use on the smallest AUVs and ROVs by Marine Electronics, UK. The Dolphin Sea View was launched at Ocean Business in Southampton, UK. Notable is its 720kHz operating frequency which gives it a range setting availability from 100m down to 0.2m. It also provides AUV designers with an Ethernet over power option that enables connectivity to be established using just a two core cable.
With a sonar head measuring 228mm x 130mm x 70mm the Dolphin Sea View can provide real-time continuous scanning at 30 frames per second over a 120 degree field of view. The unit includes a nine-axis MEMS motion sensor which supports a composite array of 192 beams. This has a vertical band width of 20 degrees and it consumes less than 15 watts of power. The entire unit has an in-water weight of just 1.5kg and is depth rated to 500m as standard with a 3,000m option available for deep water operations.
The Dolphin Sea View complements Marine Electronic’s existing Dolphin 3001 sonar which is a high resolution product particularly suitable for pilotage, navigation and search operations. Both models use a Windows-based operating system and are designed to provide a practical alternative to existing products at a highly competitive price.
