Canadian Company Kraken Robotics Launches Synthetic Aperture Sonar Service for Offshore Energy Market

Canadian marine technology company Kraken Robotics is making waves in the global offshore energy market with the launch of its synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) service. Kraken’s commercial services team is set to offer dedicated KATFISH towed SAS systems for rental starting in July 2025.

The KATFISH towed SAS system, which made its debut as a product seven years ago, has been widely used worldwide for various applications, including mine countermeasure operations, critical underwater infrastructure inspection, and harbor surveys. With real-time 3 cm by 3 cm resolution and a range of up to 200 meters per side, Kraken’s SAS system boasts some of the industry’s highest area coverage rates.

The high resolution of Kraken SAS provides a significant advantage in derisking projects by enabling the differentiation between manmade and natural contacts and the identification of small contacts near or on infrastructure.

Lynne Adu, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Kraken, expressed enthusiasm about introducing the KATFISH SAS service to the commercial market. Adu highlighted the increased resolution and range offered by SAS compared to sidescan sonar, noting the growing interest in applications such as pre- and post-offshore construction surveys and underwater infrastructure inspections.

Recently, Kraken’s SAS service was selected by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the UK’s premier technology innovation and research center for offshore renewable energy, to be part of its Launch Academy program. Through Launch Academy, Kraken will gain access to cutting-edge testing and research initiatives and collaborate with industry, academia, and government to position SAS survey services for the offshore wind industry.

Following the acquisition of 3D at Depth, Kraken Robotics now operates a global offshore services business from the UK and the US. The company’s global SAS services will be based out of its Aberdeen, UK office, where it also offers sub-seabed imaging services utilizing its Sub-Bottom Imager and Acoustic Corer technologies.