Deploying Uncrewed Systems for Rapid & Cost-Effective Quality Data
When it comes to marine and coastal survey, there is a growing paradox between the highly sophisticated and increasingly accurate instrumentation used to capture data and how these assets are deployed and managed in the field.
At the end of the day, while sensor suites continue to advance, the in-field process of collecting data is an arduous and time-consuming task.
However, recent advances in unmanned systems are rewriting the hydrographic and topographic survey playbook. Today, a surveyor’s toolkit—specialized instrumentation, such as multibeam sonars, LiDAR, cameras, and RTK GPS—can be incorporated into autonomous platforms that are perfectly suited to running repetitive survey lines, on, above, and below the waterline.
Over the decades, M&E has always invested in the latest technology platforms to bring customers the highest caliber data in a timely and cost-effective fashion. Today, our teams leverage an expanding portfolio of unmanned assets to gather and process data, including the latest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). The successful integration of autonomous craft allows our operators to execute coastal surveys with unmatched efficiency.
Our latest acquisition, a WingtraOne GEN II, is a fixed-wing, vertical takeoff and landing UAV with PPK GPS that can accommodate various imaging payloads, including an RGB 61-megapixel camera for photogrammetry, a Hesai XT32 for LiDAR point clouds, and a Micasense Red edge-P six-band multi-spectral camera ideal for biological resource surveys. The UAV brings a new dynamic to M&E’s surveying capabilities, allowing field teams to rapidly acquire multifaceted aerial data sets covering extensive reaches of the coastal and offshore domain in tandem with our fleet of ASVs that are equipped to capture imaging and other environmental data below the surface.
The Benefits of M&E’s Autonomous Remote Survey Services:
Cost-effective survey operations:
The deployment of uncrewed vehicles allows the team to reduce the number of support personnel in the field, including topside support (e.g., a crewed survey boat), curbing operational overheads and saving vessel setup time.
Precision and accuracy:
The automation of monotonous survey operations removes the margin of human error and the stresses associated with manual control.
Safety in marine robotics:
Uncrewed vehicles remove personnel from potentially hazardous environments. This is particularly true when trying to navigate waters with restricted access, where traditional survey boats may be impeded or unable to get into places traditional survey vessels cannot.
Speed of data processing and interpretation:
Depending on the survey in question, data can be managed in real time from a shore-based command or a workboat. The preset survey plan allows surveyors to focus on other important aspects of operations, like survey processing and QAQC, meaning clients receive validated results sooner.
Force multiplier:
Advances in autonomy mean that commanding multi-boat ASV operations alongside UAV flights from above in controlled environments is a means of surveying greater areas more efficiently and effectively.
Find out more about how M&E’s Autonomous Remote Survey Services can bring greater flexibility to your project, contact M&E today.
