ALS Single-Ping Field of View and Swath Width: The ATLAS sonar is designed with a long detection and consequently a wide swath width. As the vehicle traverses an area, objects which pass through the sensor’s field-of-view are seen dozens to hundreds of time. In contrast, side-looking sonars (SLS) tend to have narrow swaths and only view an object from a single aspect angle.

ALS single-ping field of view and swath width: The ATLAS sonar is designed with a long detection and subsequently a wide swath width. As the vehicle traverses an area, objects which pass through the sensor’s field of view are seen dozens to hundreds of times. In contrast, side-looking sonars (SLS) tend to have narrow swaths and view an object from only a single aspect angle. Image courtesy of Thunder Bay 2010 Expedition, NOAA-OER.

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Related Links

Thunder Bay 2010: Cutting Edge Technology and the Hunt for Lake Huron’s Lost Ships

Thunder Bay 2010: Sonar and AUV Technology

NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery