Now Benthos combines high resolution side scan imagery with bathymetric data to produce a 3D look at the bottom. The C3D is manufactured to the highest quality and reliability that one should expect in the offshore environment. It represents the latest in sonar technology with a patented multi-array transducer and solving for multiple angles of arrival for a 3-dimensional image.
SARA CAATI (Small Aperture Range Angle and Computed Angle of Arrival Transient Imaging) is a patented technique licensed to Benthos by Simon Frazier University. It is a method for estimating the backscatter arrival spectrum. It uses an angle-of-arrival estimation similar to interferometry. However, the C3D solves the problem of concurrent arrivals from multiple angles.
The C3D is the best solution for combining side scan imagery and bathymetric data. The data sets are collected at the same place and time and there is no need to merge data sets with separate systems. Each point along the track has X, Y, and Z components. For example, at the 100 meter range there are 2000 points compared to only a few hundred using multi-beam systems. This allows for a much greater across-track resolution.
Applications include:
-Channel clearance studies
-Engineering and scientific studies
-Biomass for fisheries
-Object detection
-Cable/pipeline surveys
-Bottom mapping
Air Quality