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Suppliers: Underwater Sensors
Advanced Navigation
Autonomous Underwater Drone for Subsea Exploration, Survey and Inspection
Platinum Partner
VectorNav Technologies
High-Performance Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) for Unmanned Systems
Platinum Partner
Exail
Inertial Navigation & Positioning Technology for Unmanned, Autonomous Systems
Platinum Partner
Teledyne Marine
Autonomous and Unmanned Marine Vehicles: USV, AUV, Marine ROV; Profiling Floats & Towed Systems
Platinum Partner
Inertial Labs, a VIAVI Solutions Company
Inertial Navigation Sensors: MEMS IMU, Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, AHRS, GPS-INS & Point Cloud Generation
Platinum Partner
SBG Systems
Inertial Navigation Systems, INS/GPS, AHRS, and IMU Sensors for Unmanned Systems
Platinum Partner
Cerulean Sonar
Advanced Underwater Imaging & Positioning Solutions for Uncrewed & Autonomous Marine Vehicles
Gold Partner
ALSEAMAR
Leading-Edge Solutions & Services for Defense, Ocean & Marine Energies Applications
Gold Partner
Kraken Robotics
Innovative High-Resolution Subsea Imaging and Power Technologies for Commercial, Scientific & Military Underwater Survey Missions
Gold Partner
SatLab Geosolutions
GNSS Positioning Systems, 3D SLAM & Mobile Mapping, Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Gold Partner
Voyis
AUV Payloads & ROV Skids: Underwater Laser Scanners & 4K Stills Cameras for Subsea Inspections & Surveys
Gold Partner
Tronics Microsystems
High-Precision Digital MEMS Accelerometers Gyros for Demanding Unmanned Systems Operating In Harsh Environments
Gold Partner
EMCORE Corporation
High Performance FOG, RLG, and Quartz MEMS Inertial Sensors - Gyros, IRU, IMU, INS
Gold Partner
Gladiator Technologies
MEMS Inertial Sensors: IMUs, GPS-Aided INS, Gyroscopes, Accelerometers, AHRS
Gold Partner
Sonardyne International
Tracking, Navigation, Positioning and Communication Sensors for AUV, ROV, USV
Gold Partner
AML Oceanographic
Hydrographic & Oceanographic Equipment for Unmanned & Autonomous Surface Vessels & Underwater Vehicles
Silver Partner
Forcys
Integrated Systems & Payloads for Unmanned Surface & Underwater Platforms Operating in Complex Maritime Environments
Silver Partner
D-2 Inc
Conductivity, Temperature & Depth (CTD) Measurement Technologies for Unmanned Oceanography & Marine Survey
Silver Partner
Hydro-Tech
Hydrographic Survey Equipment: Multibeam Echo Sounders, Side Scan Sonars, Sound Velocity Sensors & Profilers
Silver Partner
CHC Navigation
GNSS Positioning & Navigation Systems, Mobile Mapping UAV LiDAR & Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Silver Partner
Silicon Sensing
MEMS Inertial Sensor Solutions, IMUs, Gyroscopes and MEMS Accelerometers for Unmanned Vehicles
Silver Partner
Airmar Technology Corporation
Weather Monitoring Stations, Marine Transducers, Side-Scan Sonar & Underwater Altimeters
Silver Partner
Products
Underwater Sensors for Marine Robotics and Subsea Systems
Underwater sensors are key components of unmanned maritime systems, delivering mission-critical data in real time for a range of requirements. Integrated into autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), gliders, towed systems, and seabed installations, these devices support environmental monitoring, navigation, defense, and infrastructure inspection tasks across a range of depths and ocean conditions.
Underwater sensors may be engineered to perform in the harshest aquatic environments, enabling both civilian and military platforms to expand situational awareness and operational capabilities below the waterline. They may need to withstand water ingress and salt corrosion, and sensors operating at the most extreme depths may require rugged titanium pressure-resistant housings.
Kraken MP-SAS by Kraken Robotics
Environmental Sensors
Salinity, Temperature, and Pressure Sensors
Ocean profiling relies heavily on accurate salinity, temperature, and pressure measurements to assess phenomena such as stratification, thermoclines, and water mass behavior. Salinity sensors are often combined with temperature and pressure sensors in compact, multiparameter units to build detailed environmental profiles. These are crucial for both scientific research and for enhancing the navigational models of autonomous vehicles, particularly those performing extended-duration missions.
Conductivity and pH Sensors
Workhorse Proteus ADCP by Teledyne Marine
Conductivity sensors are directly linked to salinity measurements and play a vital role in monitoring changes in ocean chemistry. Similarly, pH sensors allow for real-time monitoring of ocean acidification and chemical contamination. These tools are essential for pollution detection and assessing long-term ecological changes, and are often used in fixed sensor arrays for continuous monitoring in coastal zones or sensitive marine habitats.
Turbidity and Flow Sensors
Turbidity sensors measure suspended particle concentrations in the water column, which are indicative of erosion, runoff, or disturbance from dredging or seabed mining. Flow sensors monitor current velocity and direction, feeding hydrodynamic models and helping AUVs optimize propulsion strategies. These sensors are critical in estuarine research, environmental impact assessments, and sediment transport studies.
Acoustic Sensors
Hydrophones and Hydrophone Arrays
Hydrophones capture underwater acoustic signals, enabling applications such as marine life monitoring, undersea communication, and vessel detection. When arranged in arrays, they provide spatial localization capabilities, making them indispensable for submarine tracking, passive sonar operations, and surveillance missions. Defense operations rely heavily on hydrophone arrays for detecting and classifying underwater threats in real time.
Acoustic Transducers and Sonar Systems
Transducers convert electrical signals into sound waves and vice versa, enabling active sonar systems to map surroundings and detect objects. Side-scan sonar, multibeam sonar, and forward-looking sonar technologies employ transducers to create detailed images of the seabed, aiding in navigation, mine clearance, and wreck detection. These systems are also integral to obstacle detection and avoidance in complex or confined underwater spaces.
Optical and Imaging Sensors
Cameras and Optical Sensors
High-resolution optical sensors, including underwater cameras and laser-based imaging systems, support visual inspection and situational awareness. These are deployed for infrastructure inspection, pipeline surveys, and biological assessments such as coral reef monitoring, as well as for UUV navigation. Optical sensors are often complemented by artificial lighting arrays and image processing algorithms to enhance clarity in low-light or high-turbidity conditions.
Airmar’s 200m Mini Altimeter Kit Smart™ Sensor for AUVs, ROVs
Biosensors
Biosensors detect biological or biochemical markers, such as microbial activity, toxins, or specific proteins, and are used in applications ranging from pollution detection to harmful algal bloom monitoring. These sensors provide targeted insights into the health of aquatic ecosystems and are being increasingly adopted in marine biology research and environmental compliance operations.
Geophysical and Navigational Sensors
Magnetometers
Used to detect magnetic anomalies, magnetometers identify ferrous materials and geological features on or beneath the seabed. These instruments are crucial in underwater mine detection and UXO (unexploded ordnance) operations, archaeology, and locating lost metallic infrastructure. In defense applications, magnetometers support both covert reconnaissance and explosive ordnance disposal operations.
Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
IMUs provide orientation, velocity, and acceleration data by combining accelerometers and gyroscopes. In subsea environments where GPS signals are unavailable, IMUs serve as the backbone of dead-reckoning navigation systems for AUVs. Their high precision ensures accurate path tracking over extended missions, especially in deep-sea or cluttered environments.
Depth Sensors
Depth sensors are typically pressure-based and provide critical information for maintaining consistent operating depth and for executing terrain-following algorithms. These are essential for bathymetric surveys, subsea mapping, and operating safely at proximity to the seafloor or subsea structures.
Subsonus Underwater Acoustic Positioning System by Advanced Navigation
Mission-Specific Applications
Obstacle Detection and Obstacle Avoidance
Underwater sensors are often used on UUV platforms to deliver real-time obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities. By combining acoustic sonar, optical imaging, and inertial data, unmanned vehicles can autonomously navigate complex terrain, avoid collisions, and maintain safe operating parameters even in constrained environments such as underwater pipelines or harbor areas.
Seabed Mapping and Infrastructure Inspection
Sensors configured for high-resolution bathymetry and subsea asset inspection enable detailed mapping of ocean floors and verification of underwater installations. These systems are vital for subsea construction, oil and gas maintenance, and cable route planning, with the added benefit of reducing diver risk and operational costs.
Coral Reef and Ecosystem Monitoring
For ecological applications, underwater sensors support reef health analysis, species behavior monitoring, and water quality assessment. Deployments may include long-duration sensors for continuous monitoring or short-term AUV missions with adaptive sensor payloads.
Versatility Across Sectors
The ongoing miniaturization and modularization of underwater sensor technologies enable integration into a growing variety of unmanned marine platforms. As multi-sensor fusion becomes standard, operators, survey companies, research institutes and a variety of other users can benefit from rich, layered datasets that inform more intelligent decision-making.
