SPH Drone Multi Beam System

Revolutionary Multibeam Echo Sounding Technology for Drone-Based Bathymetric Surveys

WHAT IS MULTIBEAM ECHO SOUNDING (MBES)?

SINGLE VS MULTI BEAM COMPARISON

Single Beam Echo Sounder (SBES) measures depth at a single spot directly below the sensor, requiring multiple survey lines to cover an area.

Multibeam Echo Sounder (MBES) returns multiple depth points across a wide swath with each ping, dramatically reducing survey time.

MBES VS SBES ADVANTAGES

MBES Benefits	SBES Benefits
Higher resolution bathymetric models	Longer depth range capability
Complete seafloor mapping with swath coverage	Dual-frequency options available
Better productivity - requires fewer survey lines	Less dependent on sound velocity profiles
Significantly better data density/resolution/bathymetric coverage	Simpler operation, more accurate for single points

WHY CERULEAN SURVEYOR 240-16 MBES?

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Ultra-lightweight: 790g in air, 145g in water
Integrated IMU for pitch and roll compensation
16-beam configuration optimal swath coverage
240kHz frequency for shallow-medium depth

COMPLETE SYSTEM COMPONENTS

HARDWARE PLATFORM

M350/M400/compatible drones
SkyHub + True Terrain Following
MBES on foldable arm
Integrated GPS/GNS

SOFTWARE SUITE

UgCS Desktop + Companion
SkyHub MBES package
BeamworX processing
Hydromagic support (coming)

DATA PRODUCTS

Cerulean SVLOG format
LAZ point cloud export
Industry-standard formats
Professional deliverables

DATA PROCESSING WORKFLOW

Professional MBES data processing workflow similar to LiDAR processing - delivering industry-standard point cloud products

Raw Data Collection
Cerulean SVLOG Format

Raw multibeam data automatically logged onboard SkyHub during flight operations

16-beam multibeam data
Integrated IMU for pitch/roll
GPS positioning data
Real-time data validation

Patch Test & Calibration
BeamworX AutoPatch

Automated calculation of pitch/roll/heading corrections for proper swath alignment

Specific data collection patterns
Automatic stripe alignment
Sensor mounting corrections
Quality control analysis

Final Processing & Export
BeamworX AutoClean

Professional data cleaning and point cloud generation

LAZ export as main product
Industry-standard formats
Automated outlier removal
Professional deliverables

SOUND VELOCITY CONSIDERATIONS

CRITICAL FOR ACCURACY

Sound speed variations affect beam geometry and depth accuracy:

High velocity estimates: "smile" effect (upward curve)
Low velocity estimates: "frown" effect (downward curve)

Recommended Profilers:

Teledyne Valeport SWiFT SVP

(FOB UK)

Hydro-Tech SVP1500

(FOB China)

Sound speed variations affect beam geometry and depth accuracy:

When the measured (estimated) sound velocity is higher than it should be, a flat surface will bow upwards (eg. ‘smile’) and when it’s too low, a flat surface will bow downwards (eg. ‘frown’).