Page 25: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2019)

test demonstrated 80 dB of analog to many markets and applications. cancellation in a dif? cult and dynamic Military operations will bene? t from environment and the ability to scale networking, clandestine communica- to useful distances using commercial tions, improved throughput, and in-

HQTXLULHV#EOXHSULQWVXEVHDFRP equipment, while maintaining robust, creased tolerance for dif? cult acoustic

VRXQGE\GHVLJQ reliable full-duplex communications. conditions. One could envision DOL-

The test was performed at 6% power PHIN enabled networks of unmanned (60 mW or 160 dB) and demonstrated systems more quickly and reliably its expected 1.6 Kbits/sec data rate, ? nding and neutralizing mines in deep 0XOWLEHDP,PDJLQJ6RQDUV full-duplex telemetry. waters and in the surf zone. Com- 6LQJOHDQG'XDO)UHTXHQF\WRN+]

In sonar testing DOLPHIN has also mercially the oil and gas, and to a shown promise. To date work has lesser extent offshore renewables, are modelled 100% reconstruction of an looking to sea? oor resident systems image (nadir ? lling) and demonstrated for both installation and inspection,

DOLPHIN SSS and SAS in a labora- maintenance and repair (IMR). These tory environment. It has also demon- underwater applications will bene? t strated DOLPHIN SONAR opera- immensely from the utility, position tion in a laboratory environment with navigation and timing (PNT) and data prototype equipment. The test case to connectivity, taken for granted by mo- date has used a 3 meter tank at 1 meter bile devices connected to conventional range with a 2 MHz frequency. satellite and radio networks.

In addition, QNA has demonstrated These markets will also bene? t from the ability of the DOLPHIN SAS to improved sonar. Mine hunting cov- be able to exceed the typical SAS Ny- erage rates will increase with faster quist speed limitations. Conventional sonar advance speed and the systems 0LFUR86%/7UDFNLQJ%HDFRQV

SAS can only advance as fast as the will not have to survey twice to ? ll the %LGLUHFWLRQDO$FRXVWLF'DWD0RGHPV

Nyquist speed, based on the speci- SSS/SAS “gaps.” Energy infrastruc- ? cations of the SAS. If one exceeds ture will be quickly mapped to support the Nyquist speed, the conventional operations and maintenance needs.

SAS image fails completely. With a Ocean science and exploration will

DOLPHIN SAS, one can exceed the bene? t from increased mapping cov-

Nyquist speed without losing signal. erage rate. DOLPHIN will improve

As a result, the image will grace- upon limited ocean mapping coverage fully degrade (blur) the more the so- to date.

nar exceeds 2x the Nyquist speed. In DOLPHIN Comms is a transforma- other words, DOLPHIN SAS can at tional technology that enables full du- least double the standard SAS speed. plex acoustic underwater communica-

It can even increase the speed, albeit tion and improved sonar systems. The with an increasing blurry image. Fig- technology has been validated in ? eld ure 6 was created in a test tank with trials. There are ongoing applications a simple DOLPHIN SAS operating at and development projects planned in 3RUWDEOH6LGHVFDQ6RQDUV 3x the Nyquist speed. In 2018 QNA defense applications. Commercial 7RZHG2(0+XOODQG3ROH0RXQWHG was awarded a contract from the Na- and scienti? c applications and trials val Surface Warfare Center, Panama are of great interest. While the core

City Division, (NSWC PCD), Panama technology is ready, the many layers

City, FL to demonstrate advanced, of product and “system of systems” low power, sidescan sonar technology. developments will evolve over time. A

Phase 1 is complete and results will be robust ecosystem of hardware manu- presented in future publications. facturers, software developers and end users must mature around the under-

Practical Applications lying, enabling technology. With ap-

The DOLPHIN processing technol- propriate, collaborative effort, it is rea- ogy can be applied to communica- sonable to assume that many products tions, sonar, and telemetry systems. and applications will become DOL-

In practice this will yield bene? ts PHIN enabled.

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