Development of a handheld bistatic imaging sonar system for underwater search and survey

Abstract

A high resolution, handheld imaging sonar system is under development by Teratech Corporation for the U.S. Navy. This is a 192 channel, dual frequency bistatic sonar for Navy divers performing search and survey missions for underwater explosives. Our goal is to provide the most compact and energy efficient imaging system for the divers. The system consists of a self-contained handheld unit and a head mounted display integrated into the divers mask. The low power and small volume are a result of the development of Teratechs Charge Domain Processing (CDP) technology. This technology has led to the development of a low power 64-channel beamformer chip. As a result, only three beamformer chips will be required for the 192 channels. Until now, the implementation of small, low power sonar systems containing this many elements and forming enough beams to create an image was considered impossible. Progress in the development of this product will be presented. In-water testing is planned for late summer 2003. Experimental results and test images available will be presented at the conference. [Work sponsored by ONR and OSD Small Business Innovative Research Program, Program manager, Mr. Bruce Johnson, Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division.]