A live demonstration of AST’s PROSAS Surveyor synthetic aperture sonar system was performed recently as part of Saab Underwater Systems’ product launch of the Double Eagle SAROV underwater vehicle in Motala, Sweden. Ultra high resolution sonar images were collected, downloaded, and displayed for 30 guests from 10 countries, represented by both defense and commercial offshore communities.
Guests
were welcomed aboard the
S/S Motala Express for
day 1 on Lake Vattern,
which included live demonstrations
and workshops. During that
time, PROSAS Surveyor integrated
with the SAROV collected
sonar images in the lake.
The
modular PROSAS Surveyor system
was installed and fully integrated
onto the Double Eagle SAROV
for the first time within
just a couple of days. The
vehicle was operated as an
AUV and was launched and
recovered from the dock of
the Saab facility on Lake
Vattern.
Guests
broke into small groups
to learn more about the
combination of the unique
Double Eagle SAROV hybrid
AUV/ROV underwater vehicle
with AST’s advanced
high resolution synthetic
aperture sonar system.
Saab’s
Double Eagle SAROV with
AST PROSAS Surveyor synthetic
aperture sonar being recovered
from its mission. Applications
are defense (mine hunting),
offshore pipeline inspection,
seafloor mapping, port
security, and hydrography.
Within
minutes, the vehicle is recovered
and data is downloaded from
the onboard recorder onto
displays, where operators
can view the real-time processed
synthetic aperture, multibeam
sidescan, or bathymetry.
3 cm × 3 cm
real-time synthetic aperture
sonar images of objects
planted on the lake bottom
were downloaded from the
recorder and viewed immediately
by guests.
Close
up of AST’s modular
PROSAS Surveyor sonar,
recorder, INS, and arrays
mounted to the SAROV. Synthetic
aperture, multibeam sidescan,
and bathymetry are all
processed simultaneously
from this single configuration.
Within
minutes, guests were viewing
the scrolling waterfall
displays of synthetic aperture
images that exhibited full
swath constant resolution
of 3 cm × 3 cm.
During
the demonstration, the system
was operated against a series
of real mines. Three Rockan
stealth mines and one K10
ground mine were deployed.
The high resolution of the
sonar allows positive classification
of mines from their characteristic
shape and shadow structure,
even in the presence of other
clutter objects.
On
day 2, AST principal sonar
engineer Andy Wilby gives
a lecture and answers questions
on the modular, open architecture
PROSAS Surveyor. The SAROV
is just one of many platforms
with which the system has
been integrated.
