Sonardyne’s Solstice Side Scan Sonar Integration with Bluefin 12 AUV

Sonardyne International Ltd. and Bluefin Robotics, developers of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), have announced at Oceanology International in London, a collaboration to integrate Sonardyne’s Solstice Side Scan Sonar with a Bluefin 12 AUV.

A modular vehicle that allows for swappable payloads, Bluefin 12 is most commonly used for offshore survey, search and salvage, environmental monitoring and unexploded ordnance survey operations.

A new generation of search and classify sonar with integrated swath bathymetry, Solstice produces imagery of the highest possible quality from a conventional (non-SAS) sonar. It is designed to produce wide swath coverage (±100 metres) whilst consuming only 18 Watts of power, increasing the operational and cost effectiveness of the AUV.

“Bluefin Robotics and Sonardyne have a long partnership; we already use products from their acoustic positioning and wireless communications technology ranges which are installed on some of our other AUV models,”  said David Kelly, President & CEO for Bluefin Robotics. “Installing Solstice is part of our latest development programme to demonstrate the technology as an integrated option for our customers.”

“Solstice has been specifically designed for AUV integration with its low power consumption and wide swath for increasing operational capability,” commented Nick Swift, Business Manager for Sonardyne Maritime Security. “This collaboration further shows the commitment of both companies to providing industry-leading solutions that deliver real benefits to customers.”

Press Release, March 12, 2014