SeaRobotics ASV Surveys Bahamas After Hurricane Dorian

SeaRobotics has deployed its SR-Surveyor M1.8 ASV in cooperation with Morgan & Eklund (M&E) to survey a twenty-mile stretch of waterways in the hard-hit islands of the Bahamas.

“We designed the SR-Surveyor M1.8 to excel at working in hurricane and storm-damaged areas, without putting manned vessels in harm’s way. The SR-Surveyor M1.8 is portable, which is key in difficult to reach areas due to downed trees, submerged vessels and debris limiting access to launch areas,” said Don Darling, president of SeaRobotics. “High-quality data is also critical to recovery efforts — they need an accurate picture of the underwater environment to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

M&E, a hydrographic survey firm with experience in post-hurricane damage assessment, chose the SR-Surveyor M1.8 because of its shallow draft and multiple sensors onboard.

“This ASV can navigate hard-to-reach areas and collect multiple types of data that help present an accurate image of the underwater environment,” said Rob Collaro, director of Hydrographic and Land Surveys, M&E.

The SR-Surveyor M1.8 has multiple sensors on board and has the ability to collect side-scan sonar, multibeam sonar, and lidar data simultaneously. The optimized sensor suite (EdgeTech 2205, Velodyne PUCK, SonTek M9, and AML MicroSV) provided accurate data and detailed images of the condition of the waterways, which are crucial to the success of the ongoing recovery effort. “The Surveyor M1.8 performed well and allowed M&E to safely and successfully image the waterways,” added Darling. “We’re happy that we’ve been able to contribute to the recovery efforts in the Bahamas.”