Survey boat performing a multibeam bathymetric survey

Bathymetric Surveying

Hydrographic mapping with single-beam echo sounders on USVs - safe, efficient surveys of channels, reservoirs, bridges & near-shore infrastructure.

Overview

We perform survey-grade hydrographic/bathymetric mapping with a single-beam echo sounder (SBES) on an unmanned surface vessel (USV), safely capturing reliable depths in rivers, canals, reservoirs, storm ponds, harbours, and around bridges and intakes. The USV keeps crews off the water, works close to edges with minimal wake, and launches from tight access points-ideal for busy worksites and sensitive habitats. Where conditions allow, the system maps to 200 m depth and can be combined with aerial/terrestrial LiDAR to produce a seamless topo-bathymetric surface. Deliverables include clean soundings, bathymetric terrain and contours, and cross-sections packaged for CAD/GIS to support engineering, dredging, and asset management.

Depth Accuracy
±0.01 m*
Horizontal Accuracy
±2–5 cm*
Resolution
0.01 m
Depth Range
0.15–200 m

*Depends on environment, sound-velocity stability, and control quality.

Deliverables

Core Outputs

  • Soundings (XYZ/CSV) with QA codes
  • Bathymetric DTM/DSM (GeoTIFF) with hillshade
  • Contours (0.25–1.0 m)

Engineering Products

  • Cross-sections, profiles, alignment sheets
  • Scour & siltation/volume change assessments
  • Shoreline & structure mapping (bridges, intakes, outfalls)

Workflow

  1. Planning & permits, safety, datum/level strategy
  2. Calibration: patch test, bar-check, latency/motion checks
  3. Acquisition: SBES lines, overlaps, shoreline tie-ins
  4. Corrections: tide/RTK water-level, SVP/refraction, heave
  5. Cleaning: automated filters & manual QA
  6. Gridding & modeling: DTMs, contours, sections
  7. QA/QC & reporting: check lines, statistics, coverage
  8. Delivery: CAD/GIS packages & documentation

Technology

Sonar & Sensors

  • Singlebeam echosounder (SBES)
  • IMU for heave, pitch, roll, yaw

Positioning

  • RTK/PPK GNSS with local control
  • RTK level corrections
  • Chart/project vertical datums

FAQ

We use a single-beam echo sounder (SBES) - mounted on a USV
Yes - we routinely fuse single-beam echo sounder (SBES) data from our USV/boat with UAV/airborne/terrestrial LiDAR of banks, structures, and floodplains. Everything is tied to the same control and vertical datum; we apply a clean shoreline seam and hydro-flattening to deliver a seamless topo-bathymetric surface with contours, cross-sections, and CAD/GIS files - ideal for bridges, channels, reservoirs, and coastal assets.
Single-beam soundings, profile-derived bathy DTM/contours, cross-sections, scour/siltation assessments, and CAD/GIS packages (DWG/DXF, GeoTIFF, SHP/GDB, PDF maps)

Ready to scope your bathymetric survey?

Request a Quote