Teledyne Marine teamed up with Maritime Robotics and DEEP to conduct a survey of DEEP’s quarry lake, known as Loch Lye, located in the picturesque Wye Valley.

The survey was carried out using state-of-the-art equipment mounted on a Maritime Robotics Otter Pro vessel, which included a Teledyne RESON SeaBat T51 (800 kHz) multi-beam sonar with integrated inertial navigation system, along with a Teledyne Valeport SWiFT profiler.

Loch Lye is a focal point of the DEEP campus, covering 50 acres. This former National Dive Center provides a controlled environment for testing subsea equipment, developing methodologies, and training personnel. The lake stretches 500 meters in length, up to 125 meters in width, and reaches depths of 80 meters.

The SeaBat T51 sonar was configured for autonomous operations to map the quarry lake, while the SWiFT profiler provided essential environmental data such as temperature, sound velocity, and depth to enhance the accuracy of the multi-beam sonar readings. A remote winch allowed for easy deployment, and real-time profiler data could be monitored via smartphone for quality control.

The electric Otter Pro vessel was launched using a crane and operated locally and remotely. During breaks, operators in Norway controlled the vessel through satellite communication, utilizing onboard cameras and collision avoidance radar for autonomous navigation. The survey generated high-quality data, covering almost the entire lake in a single pass.