SL40 USV Conducts Multibeam Echosounder Survey on the Loire River Using R2Sonic 2020 MBES
Date: June 27 2019
Location: Loire River, Nantes, France
Project Overview
An OceanAlpha SL40 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) was deployed on the Loire River in Nantes, France, to perform an autonomous multibeam echosounder survey. This innovative application provided a unique perspective on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed river, demonstrating the capabilities of USV-based hydrographic surveying.
The survey solution and live demonstration were presented by CADDEN Technology Services at the R2D3 conference, showcasing the latest advancements in unmanned surveying technology.
Equipment Configuration
The SL40 USV was equipped with a high-performance sensor suite, including:
- MBES: R2Sonic 2020 Multibeam Echosounder – Delivering precise underwater topography data
- IMU: SBG Systems Ekinox D – Ensuring accurate orientation and positioning
- SVS: Mini SVS Sound Velocity Sensor – Compensating for sound speed variations in water
Survey Execution
The SL40 USV autonomously navigated the Loire River, collecting multibeam echosounder data to create detailed underwater terrain models. The collected data was processed into a 3D visualization overlaid on Google Earth, offering an unprecedented view of the riverbed and surrounding heritage site.
