GAPS portable USBL Scores Century

Unique System recently helped iXBlue to achieve a highly satisfying commercial milestone when the equipment rental company's UAE office took delivery of six GAPS portable, pre-calibrated USBLs, among them the hundredth unit to leave iXSea's factory, in Brest, France.

Harry Gandhi, ceo of Unique System, said, "GAPS is very popular with our customers in the UAE for two main reasons: the units perform well under adverse conditions such as in shallow water and where there is excessive acoustic noise; also, as they are pre-calibrated, they can be deployed and put to work very quickly."

GAPS combines USBL, INS and GPS technologies in the same highly robust and versatile unit. As well as avoiding the need for calibration on-site, GAPS is the most accurate USBL in its class. "Our objective when we conceived GAPS was to combine flexibility and ease of use with world-class performance," says Jean-Marc Binois, regional sales manager, iXBlue. "The response from customers has been very positive, to the extent that we have now delivered more than 100 units. I expect to demand to stay strong as more users experience the benefits of the technology for themselves."

Unique System has previously bought PHINS 6000, OCTANS and heavy-duty acoustic releases from iXBlue. The company rents out equipment for geophysical and hydrographic survey applications, plus a range of underwater inspection and construction activities.