Canadian Hydrographic Service Grows Its USV Fleet

The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) has taken delivery of two additional autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), bringing its fleet to four systems.

The 2.5-meter USVs, built and delivered by Florida based SeaRobotics Corporation, are complete hydrographic systems including multibeam echo sounders, support sensors, cast winches, deployment carts and road trailers.

The SeaRobotics USVs are being deployed across Canada supported by regional training performed by SeaRobotics. CHS, part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has completed the first year of operation and the analysis of the efficiency and cost effectiveness of USV usage. A profile of high-productivity, cost-reducing activities is being developed for both traditional survey tasks and survey tasks in previously denied, and currently unsurveyed, areas.

The new USVs were delivered with a fully integrated R2Sonic multi-beam echo sounder (MBES), associated motion reference unit and dual antenna RTK GPS system, as well as a surface sound velocity probe and a cast winch deploying a CTD—all tightly integrated with HYPACK software.

“The USVs will be used extensively to improve bathymetric, hydrographic and nautical data throughout Canada for waterways, estuaries and coastal bathymetric surveys,” explained Geoff Douglass, USV development manager at SeaRobotics.

“We are pleased to be supporting CHS in their deployment of state-of-the-art USV technology. The 2.5 meter USV is one of the smallest systems capable of practical, general purpose MBES deployment,” stated Don Darling, president of SeaRobotics Corporation.