Proven technology for safe, cost-effective UXO surveys
Intelligent wide-sweep remotely operated towed vehicle
EIVA's ScanFish remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV) has the ability to automatically follow the seabed at a defined height. This makes it ideal for tasks where you want your sensors very close to the seabed.
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) surveys are typically conducted with sensors looking into the seabed – eg magnetometers – and since the detection range of such sensors is typically only several meters, it is essential to not have the sensors too high up in the water column.
This is the reason that the leading UXO survey companies rely on the ScanFish – either towing magnetometers, or towing a fixed gradiometer frame with the ScanFish, or even using our ScanFish XL fitted with very large sensors such as the PanGeo SBI.
ScanFish ROTVs come in configurable setups to suit your UXO survey operation, ranging from ScanFish Katria, which tows magnetometers on a frame, to ScanFish – Equinox, which is fully integrated with a multi-aperture sidescan sonar providing the highest quality data swaths possible with sidescan sonar.
Key features
- Automatic control software, making the operation of the ScanFish highly automated (although training is recommended).
- Follow-seabed, where the ScanFish uses an echosounder as altimeter to measure height above the seabed. Typical flying height depends on the terrain, but can be 3-4m or less.
- 3D steering and autopilot, the ScanFish 3D option enables side-ways steering as well as vertical steering, and the autopilot makes it possible to ensure that the ScanFish follows a runline as defined in eg NaviPac.
- Anti-collision, where the ScanFish will rise in case of obstacles in order to try avoid hitting them.
- Keep sensors stable – even around steep obstacles, as NaviSuite can provide the ScanFish with smoother vertical runlines thanks to early warnings based on DTM (real-time and/or pre-survey).
- Coax or fiber communication, where either single wire coax tow-cables or fiberoptic cables are supported.
- Prepared for Geometrics G882, where the standard ScanFish comes with ports and towing poles for four G882 magnetometers.
- Custom gradiometer frames, where the ScanFish is ideal for towing a fixed 6, 8, 10-magnetomer non-magnetic frame.
- Additional payload, the ScanFish can carry additional sensors, typical USBL for positioning, camera, side-scan, or DVL / speedlog for speed in water measurement.