In November 2025, the ultra-compact Innomar essential SBP and a Norbit WBMS multi-beam echosounder (MBES) were successfully integrated into a Maritime Robotics Otter uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) as part of a 'proof-of-concept' technical test. This test was conducted in collaboration with the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) in Hamburg, which provided the USV with the integrated MBES.
The Innomar essential SBP's transceiver electronics are all housed in the SBP transducer. A standard Norbit cable connected the essential head to the AUX port of the Norbit deck unit (SIU) in the Otter's payload box. The essential SBP was then supplied with power, position, and motion data from the Norbit SIU. The Norbit WBMS was installed at the stern of the USV, and the Innomar essential at the bow. Setting up the equipment and configuring the ports took less than an hour.
Online data acquisition and visualisation of the Innomar essential was performed using the Innomar SESWIN data acquisition software, which was installed on the Otter USV's payload computer. Maritime Robotics' SeaCapture software was used for mission planning and USV control as well as for acquiring and visualising the Norbit WBMS data.
This combination of the Innomar essential SBP, the Norbit WBMS and the Maritime Robotics USV provides a powerful, uncrewed surveying system for shallow-water applications that is also easy to integrate and transport.
