VideoRay and Sonardyne demonstrate enhanced positioning of ROVs

UK-based Sonardyne has teamed up with VideoRay remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to demonstrate the benefits of its add-on precision tracking systems.

Sonardyne’s Micro-Ranger 2 Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) sonar system is designed for shallow water tracking of divers and small ROVs, as well as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

How do you fit a sonar system to an ROV? VideoRay have made it simple

How do you fit a sonar system to an ROV? VideoRay have made it simple. The company’s Defender and Pro 5 ROVs feature so-called Mission Specialist Technology. It’s a platform designed using interchangeable, modular components, making it highly customisable depending on the requirements.

These vehicles are also an excellent fit for Sonardyne’s Micro-Ranger 2. In recent trials, the VideoRay Defender was successfully equipped with a Micro-Ranger 2 and a Viper mine disposal system from ECS Special Projects.

Viper is a twin-shot disruptor capable of deploying multiple ‘shots’ during one dive mission.

Extremely portable and quick to mobilize, Micro-Ranger 2 can be deployed from any waterside location or vessel. This makes it ideal for supporting marine operations conducted in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The system has an operating range of 995 meters and can update the position of each target being tracked up to twice a second.

Micro-Ranger 2 calculates the position of underwater targets using a transceiver at the surface to transmit an acoustic signal to transponders attached to each of the targets to be tracked. Using the return signal from each transponder, Micro-Ranger 2 determines its range (distance), bearing (heading), and depth, displaying the results on a radar-style software display.

“Micro-Ranger 2 worked flawlessly, accurately tracking the Defender as it deployed the Viper charge on a simulated manta mine,” said Chris Gibson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development at VideoRay. “It’s a high-performance tool that gives our ROVs even more range and flexibility when matched with the Viper system.”

Sonardyne first integrated Micro-Ranger 2 technology with VideoRay’s Mission Specialist Technology for ROVs in 2018. Since then, the systems have been deployed together in a range of applications from aquaculture to military operations.

This smart pairing of high-tech vehicle with tracking system should prove invaluable to clearance divers and those who need to perform precision underwater work.