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53 SubCtech has also completed development of a new power distribution unit, which is designed for high-power UUVs and other subsea machinery that run at voltages of up to 600 V and current as high as 100 A. iXBlue has launched the SeapiX-C, its newest solid-state 3D multi-beam sonar for real-time georeferenced bathymetric survey data in offshore infrastructure operations such as monitoring subsea assets, dredging or jack-up barge deployments. The system has been designed to operate without any moving parts in order to improve measurement reliability and accuracy. It can cover up to 10,000 sq m at a depth of 30 m (over an aperture of 120 º ), with points captured at a resolution of 1.6 º x 1.6 º x 7.5 cm. It operates at a frequency of between 145 and 155 kHz, with each swathe comprising 256 beams along its track and 256 beams across it. The company has also unveiled its new Gaps M5 USBL solution, which is based on the same technology as its previous Gaps USBL (which has been renamed Gaps M7) but with redesigned and shorter legs to reduce its size and weight, and enhance its horizontal tracking capability. It weighs 14 kg in air, and measures roughly 520 x 296 mm. It comes with a tether of 20 m standard length, although 50 and 995 m cables are available for end-users with deeper missions or longer tow requirements. The Gaps M5 can track across an aperture of 200 º and a range of 995 m. Nominal positioning accuracy is at least 0.5% of the slant range, and range accuracy is rated to 20 mm. For added accuracy in accounting for heading and attitude, the Gaps M5 integrates one of iXblue’s FOG-based motion reference units. This outputs heading measurements accurate to 0.5 º and pitch and roll readings to 0.1 º . Riegl has developed a special airborne Lidar sensor for carrying out high-resolution bathymetric surveys of lakes, rivers and coastal areas using UAVs in the 60-120 kg weight range. It is designed with precise mapping information for engineers, environmentalists and waterway navigators in mind. “The VQ-840-G topo-bathymetric airborne laser scanner weighs 12 kg and provides more than 2 Secchi depths of water penetration, as well as high spatial resolution thanks to a measurement rate of up to 200 kHz, and a selectable laser beam divergence,” said Dr Martin Pfennigbauer. “It can be complemented by an optionally integrated GNSS-IMU system and an optional camera for further detail and analytics.” There are two downward-facing exit windows on the bottom of the VQ-840- G’s hull – a smaller window for the EO or IR camera and a larger one for the Oceanology International 2020 | Show update Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2020 SubCtech’s new AUV PowerPack 416 battery and power distribution unit Riegl’s VQ-840-G Lidar mounted on one of the company’s Ricopters