Ultrabeam and USS Join Forces to Deliver Autonomous Pipeline Survey

Ultrabeam Hydrographic, a hydrographic survey company, recently teamed up with Unmanned Survey Solutions (USS) to conduct two subsea gas pipeline inspection surveys in Northern Ireland. Both companies are based in the UK and offer unmanned platforms as an alternative to traditional manned survey vessels. The contract was awarded by Mutual Energy, who were keen to gain experience on how unmanned autonomous platforms can increase the knowledge of their pipelines while reducing risk and overall cost. Shane Rafferty, group engineer explained: “Mutual Energy contracted with Ultrabeam Hydrographic in August 2020, following an open competitive tendering process, to perform inspection surveys of... (read more)

2020-10-20 10:03:13

Applying Side-scan Sonar and an AI-powered Platform for Environmental Protection

Over the past few years, the University of Delaware, USA, has participated in a state programme which supports rescuing abandoned crab pots from the seabed and researches technologies to make the search process more effective. It has developed advanced sonar surveys from a boat with further map storage and processing in SPH Engineering’s ATLAS AI-powered platform. The evaluations proved to be time-effective and more accurate in comparison to the detections of human annotators. Blue crab fishing is a popular commercial and recreational activity throughout the United States. In order to catch these crabs, people use 'crab pots'. These devices are placed... (read more)

2020-10-19 08:42:35

Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning

Improving Results with Refraction Corrections

Accurate bathymetric mapping of shallow areas is essential for a plethora of offshore activities. Through Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multiview Stereo (MVS) techniques, images can provide a low-cost alternative compared to Lidar and sonar systems while also offering important visual information. This article presents a new framework for mapping the seabed in clear and calm shallow waters for small- and large-scale surveys using aerial imagery and machine learning to correct the geometric effects of refraction on the 3D point clouds and the imagery. SfM is a photogrammetric technique for estimating 3D structures from 2D image sequences. It involves acquiring... (read more)

2020-10-13 10:42:39

Port of London Brings Latest Technology to University College London

The Port of London Authority (PLA) hydrographic department recently teamed up with Unmanned Survey Solutions (USS) to provide ground-breaking educational support to University College London’s (UCL) IHO CAT A course in Hydrographic Surveying. The PLA have supported the university for many years by providing lectures in current hydrographic techniques and equipment as well as supporting their student field projects. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the final element of this year’s support had to be conducted virtually. The PLA, in conjunction with the USS and UCL, devised a two-week schedule which incorporated a combination of manned and unmanned survey tasks to... (read more)

2020-10-13 09:53:05

Measuring and 3D Mapping of Sea Ice in the Arctic

Underneath the Top of the Iceberg

Sea ice is one of the most important parameters when it comes to ice-albedo feedback; in other words, the fraction of incoming solar radiation that is reflected directly back into space. Because of the grave importance of the decrease in the amount of sea ice due to the climate crisis, gaining a full understanding of its complex structure is more important than ever. Both large and small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have been used successfully to map the 3D structure of the underside of sea ice, but always in an experimental context. The challenge is to determine the best way... (read more)

2020-10-06 11:21:52

Michel Legris

Michel Legris, Eng, PhD, is an Associate Professor at École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées Bretagne, Brest, France. After working for several years for the French Ministry of Defence, he now teaches underwater acoustics and inertial navigation. His research interests are high frequency sonar and AUV localization. (read more)

2020-09-29 11:02:45

Sonardyne’s Solstice MCM Sonar Now MINTACS-compatible for Royal Australian Navy

Marine technology company Sonardyne has announced that its Solstice multi-aperture sonar has been integrated into mine warfare command software used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Through a collaboration with Australian defence software engineering company Solutions from Silicon (SfS), data collected by Solstice during mine counter measure (MCM) missions can now be imported, processed and displayed in the most recent release of the MINTACS (Mine Warfare Tactical Command Software), which is in service with the RAN. Sonardyne’s Solstice is widely considered a force multiplier for MCM operations, enabling substantially higher area coverage rates (ACR) using low-cost, low-logistics autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).... (read more)

2020-09-22 10:14:55

Automated Target Recognition Options for Gavia Vehicles

Teledyne Gavia, a global leader in the manufacture of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), has introduced Charles River Analytics’ AutoTRap Onboard AI-based object detection software as a new capability onboard their Gavia marine vehicles. As underwater operations become more complex and dangerous, AI technology has emerged as the clear solution for delivering the consistent and accurate results that have proven elusive until now, due to the challenges of ever-changing marine environments. The new partnership with Teledyne Gavia expands the boundaries for underwater unmanned sonar operation. Now, operators can acquire Teledyne Gavia’s best-in-class unmanned underwater vehicles with AutoTRap Onboard software inside. “AutoTRap... (read more)

2020-09-22 09:33:34

The IBCAO 4.0 Bathymetric Chart: New Depth Map of the Arctic Ocean

Scientists from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and around the globe have published the most detailed map to date of the Arctic Ocean seafloor, which they hope will provide a glimpse of the geologic features that could affect global climate, the melting behaviours of the Arctic ice sheets, and ultimately sea-level rise. Using all available depth data, including new state-of-the-art multibeam sonar technology, and sometimes surveying areas never before explored by ship, the new compilation now has approximately 19.8% of the Arctic Ocean seafloor mapped, representing a 13% increase from the previous chart compiled in 2012. This improvement is the result... (read more)

2020-09-15 10:08:04

Applied Acoustics Launches Pyxis Integrated Inertial USBL System

Applied Acoustic Engineering (AAE) has announced the launch of its next-generation USBL system, Pyxis USBL. Taking its name from the constellation Pyxis Nautica – the mariner’s compass – Pyxis USBL combines the best of AAE’s subsea acoustic tracking technology with a highly advanced inertial navigation system (INS) from a respected name in the industry, to create a state-of-the-art, inertially aided Ultra Short Baseline system capable of accurate subsea tracking with survey-grade performance. The combination of AAE’s Sigma 2 acoustic protocols and SBG Systems' high-precision Navsight Apogee Marine INS brings together two leading names in the field of marine technology, resulting... (read more)

2020-09-10 03:10:16