Inland Water Survey
Compact USV solution specifically for riverine/canal challenges—redefines reliability in inland waterway survey.
Pioneering Compact USV Technology Since 2013
Dedicated For Precision in Shallow & Dynamic Waters
OceanAlpha launched the world’s first autonomous small hydrographic USV (2013), setting the standard for inland water survey USVs. Our USVs combine ultra-portability (1-2 people deploy, car-trunk fit) with sonar systems, solving key inland challenges: shallow/narrow access, high charter costs, and slow operations.
Shallow Water Bathymetry
Challenge: Inland waterways feature extreme shallows (<0.3m), narrow canals, dense vegetation, and floating debris—traditional boats risk grounding or entanglement, while manual surveys are slow and costly.
OceanAlpha Solution: Our USVs (draft 0.25m) navigate these zones with multi-sensor versatility (single/multi-beam, SVS, SVP for high accuracy), debris-resistant waterjet thrusters, and auto-navigation/obstacle avoidance.
Flow Velocity & Discharge Measurement
Challenge: Inland waterways have uneven currents and complex cross-sections—traditional boat-mounted ADCPs struggle with limited coverage and inefficient velocity mapping.
OceanAlpha Solution: Our USVs integrated with ADCP systems for precise flow measurement, autonomously navigating to calculate discharge volumes for flood control and water planning.
Water Quality Sampling & Monitoring
Challenge: High-frequency sampling in reservoirs, lakes, and protected areas is critical for drinking water safety and ecological health—but traditional boats cause water pollution (fuel/oil leaks, turbulence) and require high labor/operational costs for repeated manual surveys.
OceanAlpha Solution: Our electric-powered water sampling USVs offer remote-controlled, automated, or layered sampling + real-time analysis. The USV navigate preset waypoints to collect samples, generate real-time water quality maps—zero emissions, zero human risk, and at least 50% cost reduction vs. conventional methods.
The field test demonstrated the SL40 USV’s exceptional stability as a multi-sensor platform, delivering clear underwater maps and accurate 3D above-water imagery in a single deployment.
The USV allowed the team to gather critical hydrographic data in one of the world’s most challenging survey environments while maintaining safety and operational efficiency.
Compact USV for Inland Waterway Hydrographic and Bathymetric Survey
- Dimension：1.65*0.7*0.4m
- Dry Weight： 42kg
- Max Speed：10kn
- Endurance：8hr@3kn
Compact USV for Inland Waterway Bathymetric Survey and Water Discharge Measurement
- Dimension：1.05*0.55*.38m
- Dry Weight: 17kg
- Max Speed：8kn
- Endurance：6hr@3kn
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