The Teledyne RESON SeaBat T-Series sonars come equipped with a unique set of features designed to help surveyors obtain the highest quality data in the shortest amount of time.
Below we have listed seven scenarios where the SeaBat T-Series' built-in features significantly enhance the data collection:
1) How to Rescue Poor Data and Swath Coverage with the Tracker
In this example we first demonstrates poor data quality. Not only is there significant noise due to poor detections, but there are also data gaps leading to reduced swath coverage. Ultimately, this results in extensive manual cleaning, tighter line spacing, and repeated survey runs. In all cases, users spend more time on their surveys to get it right.
The cause of these poor data is inadequate sonar settings. This often occurs with inexperienced users, or users unable to continuously monitor sonar settings, or in uncrewed operations where uninterrupted focus on sonar settings is challenging.
Once the user enables the SeaBat T-Series tracker option, the settings are automatically adjusted within a few pings, allowing clean data to be recorded at the maximum possible swath width.
2) How to Ensure Clean data and Efficient Mapping with the Tracker
In this example, the outer beams are too weak (marked with blue), resulting in noisy data. The range is too long, leading to low ping rates.
By enabling the Tracker, the appropriate range settings are automatically identified. We also observe that the beams provide a stronger seabed response (marked with green), reducing the risk of false detections.
Finally, you'll notice the swath angle opens up. Here Tracker detects that more data is available, producing a larger swath and ultimately saving ship time.
3) How to Opimize the Swath Width for Maximum Efficiency
To begin with the T-Series SeaBat tracker option controls the swath width, and will initially be set very narrow. However, with the Tracker enabled it will determine that a larger swath is possible and therefore begin to open up the swath angle.
By opening up the swath angle it allows the users to operate hands-free, while the SeaBat sonar confident achieves the most efficient swath coverage, and thereby avoids any loss of survey time.
4) How to Adjust Short Range Settings Automatically
If the range is set too short, it causes the outer beams to be out of range of the seabed. This results in noisy data, leading to extensive data cleaning, reduced coverage, and lost ship time.
Often a scenario like this occurs when the depth changes without the operator noticing.
However, by enabling the SeaBat T-Series Tracker option enabled, it will automatically ensure the range is adjusted correctly whenever the depth changes, so less monitoring is needed.
5) How to use Adaptive Gates Follow for Complex Seabed Terrain
Gates aid in bottom detection by minimizing false detections. Any gate can follow a flat seabed, but the SeaBat T-Series comes with unique adaptive gates.
As seen in this example, the gates follow both flat terrain and steep cliffs. This is one of the ways the SeaBat T-Series produces the best data and the widest swaths.
6) How to Prevent Oversaturation in Backscatter Data
In the SeaBat T-Series sonar wedge, the beams are now color-coded by intensity. Red/orange beams indicate that the signal is reaching saturation levels, which should be avoided as it leads to poor backscatter.
Once the SeaBat T-Series Tracker option is enabled, the settings are adjusted almost instantly to match the seabed response. You will notice that the beams turn green, indicating an adequate response level. Some outer beams are blue, showing that the signal is too weak. Subsequently, Tracker will adjust those so that the beams are just right. SeaBat T-Series Tracker ensures that good backscatter data is collected by avoiding weak or oversaturated beams.
7) How to Maintain Data Integrity
In this example, you will observe that while the user adjusts sonar settings such as power gain, absorption, and spreading, the backscatter remains unaffected. The SeaBat T-Series sonar accurately measures the seabed response because the normalized backscatter is adjusted to account for these sonar settings.
Normalized backscatter allows users to adjust sonar settings without compromising the quality or integrity of backscatter data.
This flexibility in data collection ensures that changes in parameters such as gains do not influence the measurement of backscatter strength, ultimately facilitating more accurate analysis and interpretation of underwater features.
