Kongsberg Discovery Launches Seapath 385 Navigation System

Kongsberg Discovery is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its inertial navigation product portfolio with the release of Seapath® 385, a system combining new hardware and advanced navigation algorithms to unlock optimal precision for hydrographic surveying.

Seapath 385 combines inertial technology and processing algorithms with multi-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS and geostationary satellite signals. The system integrates raw inertial sensor data either from Kongsberg Discovery’s high performance MGC® (Motion Gyro Compass) or MRU (Motion Reference Unit), together with GNSS data, and RTK, PPP or DGNSS corrections.

The result is an integrated, robust and highly accurate solution that, says Vidar Bjørkedal, VP Sales at Kongsberg Discovery, delivers unique performance, every time.

“Since 1994, Seapath has set the benchmark for excellence in hydrographic surveys across the entire ocean,” says Bjørkedal. “The 385 pushes the bar higher than ever before.

“By uniting data from an array of critical sources, integrating our market leading inertial navigation technology, and then enhancing both the hardware - boosting processing power and upgrading interfaces - and refining our algorithms we’ve taken a new evolutionary step in this demanding technology niche.”

Thanks to the system’s inertial sensor and updated navigation algorithms, dead reckoning performance is second to none, says Kongsberg Discovery. In addition, another layer of robustness is added by the innovative utilisation of GNSS antennas for both positioning and heading determination.  

A new post processing format contains all necessary data and system configuration in a single file, with the possibility of achieving centimetre position accuracy through downloaded satellite orbit and clock data, or data logged from base stations.

The modular system, with a processing unit running all critical computations independent from the user interface on the HMI Unit, offers easy installation and continuous, reliable operation. Measurements are highly precise, with a data rate of up to 200Hz at multiple monitoring points, easily accommodating sensors or systems relying on motion or position data across the vessel.

Kongsberg Discovery is launching Seapath 385 at Oceanology International in London, Stand D600.