The US Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and Kraken Sonar Systems have successfully completed AquaPix interferometric synthetic aperture sonar (InSAS) trials, marking the completion of their cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA).
NUWC Division Newport signed the CRADA in October 2012 to evaluate Kraken’s AquaPix InSAS performance deployed from a NUWC’s REMUS 600 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
Significant amounts of InSAS data in Narragansett Bay and Block Island Sound were collected by the NUWC and Kraken against targets during the 26 AUV missions trials.
The AquaPix InSAS validated its high-resolution imagery generating capability to ranges as distant as 200m from the sensor, and also proved REMUS 600 AUV’s suitability for hosting an AquaPix InSAS sensor.
During the trials, the bathymetry generated by the sonar correlated with corresponding SAS imagery and compared with bottom maps gathered from an independent bathymetric survey.
Kraken president and CEO Karl Kenny said: "The CRADA with NUWC was an important test and evaluation of our AquaPix imaging sonar."
Featuring SAS image processing software, the InSAS system has been designed for use onboard autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated tow vehicles (ROTVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and tow bodies.
Capable of supporting offshore exploration, ocean science, seabed survey, environmental surveillance and military missions, the system is also suited for mine countermeasures, Q-route surveys, wreck searches and a wide variety of other seabed imaging missions.
Image: Kraken’s AquaPix sonar equipped onto a NUWC’s REMUS 600 AUV. Photo: courtesy of Kraken Sonar Systems Inc.
