AUV | ROV Sensors

Autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles are rapidly evolving to fill scientific niches, many with capabilities otherwise unattainable through traditional manned research at a fraction of the operating cost. Sea-Bird Scientific offers a line of sensors uniquely designed for integration with various unmanned underwater vehicles, expanding data potential and opening new doors for unique research opportunities. While Sea-Bird Scientific originally designed most sensors for stand-alone applications, we have redesigned and miniaturized popular product lines meet the specific operational requirements of unmanned research platforms: a 1 kg CTD can now replace a 10 kg CTD while maintaining the same accuracy, and a precision optical sensor can now take up half the space while recording the same data channels.

The Glider Payload CTD (GPCTD) evolved from the technology behind the fleet of Argo Float CTDs. The GPCTD is a low-power package designed for integration with autonomous gliders. Each GPCTD comes with a modified SBE 5 pump and can optionally be equipped with an SBE 43F Dissolved Oxygen sensor. Data are output in engineering units for easy integration into existing systems.

The SBE 49 FastCAT CTD is a miniaturization of profiling CTDs often used in shipboard operations, providing a solution for applications that require a compact CTD. With a fully integrated pump and temperature/conductivity/pressure sensors, the SBE 49 is a flexible option for uses ranging from small autonomous vehicles to standard profiling applications, with data quality comparable to much larger CTD packages.

The Deep SUNA is a redesign of the SUNA V2 for easy integration with AUVs of all types, incorporating the proven MBARI-ISUS nitrate measurement technology in a streamlined package. Deep SUNA provides real time, chemical-free nitrate calculations in deep ocean environments using UV absorption technology. Sea-Bird Scientific designed the Deep SUNA’s aluminum housing for installation on a moving platform to minimize any effects on the vehicle’s speed.

The ECO-Puck Fluorometer and Backscattering Sensor is a miniaturization of the popular ECO sensor, providing a simple package for applications where space and power are limited. Available in single, dual, and threechannel configurations, the ECO-Puck options cover the same optical sensors as the standard line of ECO sensors, providing multiple parameters and wavelengths for a wide range of uses.

Based on the highly successful Sea-Bird Scientific ECO sensor, Sea-Bird Scientific has developed the SeaOWL UV-ATM in-situ oil-in-water sensor, an industry-leading oil-detection technology with 5x optical resolution improvement over its predecessor. The SeaOWL UV-A™ SLC version is specifically designed for integration with the Teledyne Webb Research Slocum Glider.

The OCR-500 Series Radiometers are digital multispectral radiometers that combine precision optics and high performance microelectronics, designed for applications where performance, size, and power are key constraints. The OCR 500 is usable as a stand-alone device or in a networked environment as part of a larger system, providing radiance and irradiance measurements over multiple standard wavelengths from 400 – 865 nm.