Using the Apache Unmanned Survey Vessel

Techniques in Bathymetric Survey

This paper explores the various features of the Apache USV series for efficient seafloor-level mapping. The CHCNAV hydrographic survey software is used for data recording and analysis. It provides results in the form of 3D models of the ground, contours and depth. (This story is brought to you by CHCNAV) Bathymetry is the study and mapping of the seabed or lake bed. It consists of obtaining measurements of the depth of the ocean or lakes and is equivalent to the mapping of the Earth’s topography. In general, only limited information is known about the seabed and lake beds. Existing maps... (read more)

2020-08-05 10:38:58

Reappearance of the Danton

In December 2007, the Fugro survey vessel Geo Prospector was performing part of the Detailed Marine Survey for routing the proposed Galsi gas pipeline across the Southern Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Sardinia. One day later, interpretation of side-scan sonar data collected by the AUV revealed a large wreck lying upright among a group of smaller sonar targets in an area of disturbed sea-bed, close to the proposed pipeline route in 1000m of water. Analysis of the data indicated a vessel approximately 125m long with a beam of around 27m. Both sonar and multi-beam data revealed that the bow... (read more)

2009-02-23 03:45:20

CryoSat Detects Antarctic Underwater Ice Loss

ESA’s CryoSat mission has revealed that, over the last seven years, Antarctica has lost an area of underwater ice the size of Greater London. This is because warm ocean water beneath the continent’s floating margins is eating away at the ice attached to the seabed. Most Antarctic glaciers flow straight into the ocean in deep submarine troughs. The place where their base leaves the seabed and begins to float is known as the 'grounding line'. These grounding lines typically lie a kilometre or more below sea level and are inaccessible even to submersibles, so remote methods for detecting them are... (read more)

2018-04-05 10:26:45

Point Clouds (1)

The Functionalities of Processing Software

Whether based on Lidar, photogrammetry, radar, sonar or other remote sensors, systems for geodata acquisition create millions or even billions of 3D points. To be useful, the data needs to be organised, combined, georeferenced, measured and analysed, and that in turn requires software. This article first defines what point clouds are and identifies their sources. It then goes on to examine software functionalities such as visualisation and editing. The July 2014 edition of GIM International will be a themed issue covering collection and processing of point clouds and hence will include a selection of the many software packages currently available.... (read more)

2014-06-06 03:29:52

Multi-sensor Coastal Mapping

Integrating Active and Passive Sensors Provides Major Gains

Fugro has tested a multi-sensor approach to balance growing data needs with limited agency budgets. Coastal mapping programmes are quickly becoming a priority for government agencies across the globe. The desire to better define and understand the land/sea interface is based on several interrelated factors, including sea-level rise and its impacts on coastal populations, the growth of and reliance on a blue economy, and the need to maintain critical nearshore habitats in the midst of a changing landscape. (By José Martínez Díaz and Don Ventura, Fugro USA) In support of its hydrographic charting programme, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency... (read more)

2016-12-13 09:47:02

Fugro Buys 3D Mapping Solutions Company

Fugro has completed the acquisition of Roames Asset Services (Roames), based in Brisbane, Australia, from Ergon Energy (Ergon). Roames (previously a services unit within Ergon) specialises in high-resolution mapping services and solutions for the electricity distribution sector. Roames uses airborne sensors to generate accurate 3D models of electric power transmission networks and surrounding vegetation. The data collected through Lidar and digital imagery are processed in a highly automated way. This enables electric utility companies to take preventative measures to cost-effectively review and maintain their infrastructure and to manage vegetation growth. The current annual revenue of Roames is around EUR7 million.... (read more)

2014-03-03 09:22:35

ESRI Vietnam Opens in Hanoi

ESRI has announced the opening of ESRI Vietnam in association with ESRI Thailand. The company hopes to expand the education market in the country and plans to increase GIS training through joint initiatives with local schools and universities. Currently, the largest user of ESRI software in Vietnam is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). The ministry has 76 offices throughout the country and has completed a number of significant projects. One project was the implementation of the Vietnamese spatial data infrastructure (SDI), which provides an integrated national database for natural resources and the environment. It includes a... (read more)

2008-04-29 10:23:55

TerraPos Post-processing Software

The Norwegian company Terratec has introduced software capable of accurate positioning based on post-processing of GPS-observations, without the use of reference stations or DGPS services. Typical accuracy for kinematic applications are 3cm horizontally and 4cm vertically (RMS). This level of accuracy makes the software unique worldwide. TerraPos utilises precise orbits and clock corrections for the satellites, together with advanced error modelling to produce positions with impressing accuracy. Typpical RMS for a kinematic survey is 3cm horizontally and 4cm vertically. The result is an excellent tool for positioning in applications allowing for post-processing, such as airborne photogrammetric or Lidar operations, seabed... (read more)

2006-12-08 12:00:00

Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning

Improving Results with Refraction Corrections

Accurate bathymetric mapping of shallow areas is essential for a plethora of offshore activities. Through Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multiview Stereo (MVS) techniques, images can provide a low-cost alternative compared to Lidar and sonar systems while also offering important visual information. This article presents a new framework for mapping the seabed in clear and calm shallow waters for small- and large-scale surveys using aerial imagery and machine learning to correct the geometric effects of refraction on the 3D point clouds and the imagery. SfM is a photogrammetric technique for estimating 3D structures from 2D image sequences. It involves acquiring... (read more)

2020-10-13 10:42:39

Coastal Approach to Open Architecture

The Coastal and Marine Resources Centre (CMRC) at University College Cork, Ireland, carries out multidisciplinary research primarily aimed at contributing to the scientific understanding of coastal and marine environments and their management. CMRC conducts basic and applied research in local, national and international projects relating to four niche areas: Marine Geomatics, Coastal Processes and Seabed Mapping, Marine Mammal and Seabird Studies and Coastal Governance. CMRC researchers come from a range of backgrounds including geography, geology, information technology and biology. Broadening Innovative Research Knowledge and information management relating to the coastal environment has been a core activity at CMRC since it... (read more)

2007-10-16 12:00:00