Unmanned Systems Technology 008 | Alti Transition UAS | Ground control systems | Xponential 2016 report | Insitu Orbital N20 | UAVs | Solar power | Oceanology International 2016 report

89 anode, the current reading obtained by the probe is usually displayed on a separate unit, which means it must be transcribed by the pilot or assistant in a manner that still relates the reading to its anode. Atlantas Marine’s new video tool, however, creates both a permanent record of the readings and an overlay on the ROV’s video display. Handwriting notes becomes unnecessary, and the recordings can be viewed later to relate the data to their exact location, avoiding mistakes or ambiguity. The product was initially used with the VideoRay ROV, as Charlie Foll explained. “The CP overlay connects in line between the VideoRay control box and VideoRay tether. It takes power from the tether and puts the CP voltage reading onto a video overlay. We use the Buckleys contact and proximity probes, and have successfully deployed this on the VideoRay ROV as well as the Ocean Modules V8 ROVs on oil rigs and offshore wind turbines,” he said. The latest shallow water multi- beam echo sounder from Kongsberg Maritime was unveiled at the show. The EM 2040P is a multi-beam echo sounder based on the EM 2040 technology, and is designed for any high-resolution mapping and inspection application. The 2040P consists of a sonar head with both receiver and transmitter integrated, the EM portable processing unit and a workstation. Data input from a motion sensor and a positioning system are required. The operating frequency range is from 200 to 400 kHz: 300 kHz for near bottom, 200 kHz in deeper waters and 400 kHz for very high resolution inspection. The system has an output sample rate of more than 60 kHz, using both CW and FM chirp pulses for a much longer range with a high resolution. Pulse lengths range from 12 ms to 14 µs (the latter giving a raw range resolution of 10.5 mm). The angular coverage at the 200 and 300 kHz settings is 140 º , allowing coverage of five-and-a-half times water depth, and 120 º at 400 kHz. Seafloor Systems launched two USVs featuring remote and autonomous control options. The EchoBoat-ASV is powered by a 12 V 50 Ah UB12500 lead-acid battery pack and two 7500 W brushless dc outdrive motors with 240 minutes of battery endurance at top speed (10 knots). The 23 kg hydrographic survey platform is compatible with data acquisition software such as HyPack, HydroPro or QINSy, and uses the standard NMEA format for data interface. Up to 23 kg of payload hardware can be carried, either pre-installed from Seafloor’s own systems or supplied to accept user-specified equipment. Optional customised cabling allows the boat to accept existing GPS, GNSS and RTK positioning systems. Seafloor’s other new craft, the catamaran HyDrone-ASV, weighs 14.9 kg and uses two 12 V, 10 Ah battery packs, two 180 A water-cooled ECUs and two 3050 W brushless water-cooled motors for a top speed of 20 knots and 300 minutes’ minimum endurance. A weight capacity of 11.3 kg is available, and it has ‘all-brand’ GPS compatibility. The craft is optimised for the HydroLite- DFX portable echo sounder, which uses low-frequency (30 kHz) and high-frequency (200 kHz) transducers for bottom classification, to penetrate through soft sediments and detect both hard layers and the surface layer. Seafloor’s AutoNav package enables pre-planned surveys to be uploaded to onboard memory and executed autonomously, with manual override and return-to-base functions. RC and telemetry use a Futaba 2.4 GHz UHF controller and two omnidirectional remote antennae on the ASV, with 2000 m of operational range for switching between remote and autonomous control. Marine Electronics launched its new Dolphin 2D sonar. Measuring 228 x 130 x 70 mm and weighing 1.6 kg in water, it is intended for use on small AUVs and ROVs. Based on the company’s longer-range 250 kHz Dolphin 3001, the new Dolphin 2D is a 720 kHz model with a one-piece composite ceramic array consisting of 96 elements. That means it produces 192 acoustic beams, resulting in a 120 º horizontal display, and clear imagery at most ranges despite power consumption never rising above 15 W. As close in as 0.2 m it provides clear images at 30 fps, and at 7.5 fps for ranges up to 100 m. It also contains a nine-axis MEMS motion sensor, and no surface image processing is required for its output, which is by Ethernet or VDSL. Unmanned Systems Technology | June/July 2016 Seafloor’s AutoNav allows pre-planned surveys to be uploaded to onboard memory