P14 - Development and validation of a multimodal sonar measurement system for object detection in water bodies

Event

23. ITG/GMA-Fachtagung Sensoren und Messsysteme 2026
2026-06-09 - 2026-06-10
Nürnberg

Band

Poster

Chapter

Poster

Author(s)

S. Lennartz, M. Schneider, H. Mantz, T. Walter - University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Ulm

Pages

560 - 567

DOI

10.5162/sensoren2026/P14

ISBN

978-3-910600-11-9

Price

free

Abstract

This paper presents an autonomous, multimodal measurement system designed to detect man-made objects in bodies of water. The aim is the implementation of a system, based on an unmanned surveillance vehicle (USV) equipped with acoustic sensors for detecting underwater objects from various angles. The collected data is then being georeferenced and combined using imaging techniques to create high-resolution 2D and 3D representations. To develop and validate data processing, a rail-based measurement system was set up, enabling precisely georeferenced measurements in a water basin containing defined targets. In both cases, five single-beam sonars arranged in an array, as well as a side-scan sonar, are used. The array provides broad cross-range coverage while maintaining good resolution. Conversely, the side-scan sonar has very high along-track resolution and low angular resolution. Improved data processing is based on three principles: the use of multiple single-beam sonars, the combination of single-beam and side scan sonars and the fusion of data from multiple angles. In test scenarios involving known targets, the system demonstrated significantly improved image quality. Based on these findings, data processing using data collected by the USV can now be tested in a field trial.