iXblue develops second Gaps USBL system for shallower-water subsea tasks

摘要

NAVIGATION/POSITIONING specialist iXblue has expanded its Gaps range of ultra-short baseline (USBL) systems for subsea operations support. The newly developed Gaps M5 is an omni-directional, medium-frequency USBL acoustic positioning system which like the established Gaps M7 does not require on-the-field calibration. It is designed for positioning and vertical/horizontal tracking of subsea infrastructure, from shallow-water to medium water depths (down to 1,000 m/3,281 ft), with a claimed accuracy of better than 0.5% of the slant range up to 995 m (3,264 ft). The motion sensor embedded within the system is a free-of-export Octans Nano attitude and heading reference system, and is based on the company's FOG (Fiber Optic Gyroscope) technology, said to ensure stable heading roll and pitch compensation and a true north reference. Gaps M5, with a weight of 14 kg, is smaller and more compact than Gaps M7 (17 kg), features that are said to further facilitate installation and operation. As with Gaps M7, after installing and turning on the system, it is ready for the user to operate.