Sonardyne adds new model to hybrid subsea navigation tech

Marine technology company Sonardyne has introduced a new version of the hybrid, underwater and surface vehicle navigation platform, SPRINT-Nav Mini.

The new model is said to extend the capability of the Guidance model introduced last year, by calculating and providing the position of a remote, autonomous or piloted underwater vehicle, or uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), in addition to its velocity, depth and attitude.

Featuring INS, AHRS, pressure sensor and 500 kHz DVL in a single subsea housing that is 215 mm-high, 149 mm in diameter and weighs 0.7 kg in water, SPRINT-Nav Mini is smaller, lighter, lower in power and lower in cost, Sonardyne explained.

“Small in size and low in power, SPRINT-Nav Mini is engineered to provide accurate, precise and robust guidance, and also survey and inspection capabilities, for vehicle platforms that would normally not be able to host high-end navigation systems. These include observation-class ROVs, low-logistic AUVs, manned submersibles, swimmer delivery vehicles and USVs operating in shallow waters”, the company said.

The system is designed to work around surface structures and GNSS denied environments, providing a continuous stream of latitude and longitudes, orientation, velocities, depth and altitude at up to 200 updates per second to a vehicle’s primary control system.

Business development manager, marine robotics at Sonardyne, Aidan Thorn, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for developers and operators of small ROVs, AUVs and USVs with transformational technologies like our SPRINT-Nav Mini Navigator being a true enabler for safer, more efficient and cleaner operations across the maritime space”.