Photo of the Week: Autonomous Sparse-Aperture Multibeam Echo Sounder

Engineers from Lincoln Laboratory and the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT developed an array of sonar-equipped autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) to map features on the ocean floor. By applying advanced estimation algorithms, acoustic signal processing, and precision-navigation techniques, the ASVs operate together as a sparse-aperture sonar array capable of high-resolution seafloor imaging. A fleet of 20 small ASVs effectively forms a single sonar array 100 times the size of ship-mounted systems at significantly lower cost. The concept provides the high-quality of data captured by sonar systems on underwater vehicles while achieving the wide area coverage of sonar carried by ships.

Photo Credit: MIT Lincoln Laboratory