Echo Sounder

Applications of the Echo Sounder System

Mapping water depths and sediments before dredging and cleaning in shallow or seaweed ponds, lakes, rivers, and canals

River and lake bottom profiling for scientific investigations and environmental monitoring

Flood inundation mapping

Underwater inspections for engineering works (bridge or pipeline crossings)

Mapping the sediments of oxidation and tailing ponds

Sludge volume measurements at waste stabilization ponds

How it works

The integrated drone system for bathymetry consists of a drone (UAV) integrated with Echo Sounder. The full integration is ensured by adding the onboard computer SkyHub to the system. Adding a laser/radar Altimeter to the system enables the drone to precisely follow the terrain based on the data received from the altimeter. The drone's flight is planned and managed using the full functionality of UgCS.

You can choose between a ready-to-use system or components like the SkyHub integration kit for self-assembling.

Echo sounder

Three types of echo sounders are applicable based on the water depth, required sensitivity, and water properties.

ECT 400S single-frequency

ECT D052S dual-frequency

ECT D24S dual-frequency

System description

UAV

Supported drones

DJI M300, M350, M210, M600 series of-the-shelf drones

UAV's based on DJI A3 or Pixhawk autopilots with ArduCopter/PX4 firmware

SkyHub

Sensor's data logging is started automatically and geotagged with GPS coordinates from the autopilot

Datasheet of SkyHub

User Manual

Altimeter

Laser or Radar altimeter to fly automatically in terrain-following mode

Data sheet

UgCS

The flight planning and control software UgCS displays the Sensor's status data and the drone's current trace

Request more information

Benefits

Deploy anywhere

Ideal for hard-to-reach locations (steep coasts, mining pits, shallow waters, terrain obstacles), as well as waters of ponds, lakes, and canals. There is no need for a broad entry point to the water for deployment/recovery

Save time

Drone-based bathymetric surveys are 10 times faster and 2 times more cost-efficient than a standard approach using a ship, a boat, or an unmanned surface vehicle

Operate in harsh conditions

The system works in a hazardous environment, which humans cannot approach freely. A drone operates without water contact. Therefore, lakes and rivers with strong currents, as well as contaminated waters, become measurable

Precise measurements

The drone's precise positioning while following the survey routes and ability to fly at a constant speed and specified low altitudes result in high-accuracy measurements

Case Studies

Drone equipped with single frequency echo sounder for surveying the Mediterranean and Dead Seas

Discover

Drone equipped with dual-frequency echo sounder for surveying the physically inaccessible pond

Discover

Bathymetric surveys to produce a full digital twin of the test area

Discover

More Use Cases

White Paper

Read the White Paper “Bathymetry using UAV: accuracy concerns” by SPH Engineering CEO Alexey Dobrovolskiy

In hydrography and surface-water hydrology, traditionally dominated by boats and terrestrial methods, there is a growing presence of UAV-based solutions incorporating echo sounders for bathymetric data collection. In 2020, SPH Engineering introduced a system integrating an echo sounder with a UAV, delivering these systems to numerous customers worldwide, raising questions about accuracy, repeatability, and feasibility, which this article aims to address by examining the accuracy of measurements with a drone and an echo sounder on a rope.

Data Samples

The echo sounder system records data in three standard formats: