‘Black Swan’ is a modular and portable survey platform for inland and sheltered water use. Inflatable sponsons support a carbon fibre chassis with multiple mounting configurations for multibeam echo sounder (MBES) and LiDAR sensors along with survey acquis ition pod, cameras and control systems.

Power is handled by onboard Lithium Ion batteries which provide adequate power for full day endurance without the need for battery replacement.

The four vector thruster propulsion arrangement enables precise dynamic positioning to ensure accurate control of data acquisition both above and below the waterline. Sensitive controls allow for manoeuvring slowly around structures but also speeds up to 6 knots for large area mapping.

Controllable transducer mounts provide real time adjustment of sonar transducer (MBES) draft and roll angle to optimise survey geometry during data acquisition. The system enables precise steering of the sonar for maximum coverage and data density, minimising ‘blanking’ between sonar and laser data at the water surface. Positioning and motion referencing is provided by a high quality RTK GPS enhanced inertial navigation system (INS) and secondary robotic total station input for areas with reduced sky view.