In response to Navy SBIR 02-204, Teratech Corporation submits the following proposal to perform a concept design of a high-resolution forward-looking sonar in a low power, low cost, compact configuration, integrated with the WHOI Semi-Autonomous Hydrographic Reconnaissance Vehicle. This sonar will be designed to fulfill operational requirements for gap-filler and obstacle avoidance while preserving the vehicle's ability to conduct extended range missions. The sophistication of the sonar is a result of the development of application specific integrated circuits based on Teratech's proprietary Charge Domain Processing technology. With the integration of this sonar, Teratech and WHOI will provide a highly capable, small (80 lbs.), low cost unmanned undersea vehicle for civilian and military use. This vehicle will be shippable by commercial overnight mail for deployment anywhere in the world. A large military and commercial market exists for obstacle avoidance and gap-filler sonars for UUVs and towed side scan sonars. A FLS on the WHOI REMUS AUV has military and commercial application in Navy salvage, explosive ordinance disposal, and for use by Navy Seals to conduct search and survey missions in zero-visibility water. The commercial markets also include imaging sonars for aiding search and rescue dive teams, and bathymetric surveys by the marine and oil industry with towed side scan sonar fish. The gap-filler sonar will substantially increase the survey area coverage rate and the obstacle avoidance mode will substantially reduce costs of ship time delays and loss of equipment resulting from collisions of the survey fish with underwater obstacles.
Keywords: Acoustic Beamformer, Gap-Filler, Obstacle Avoidance, Forward-Look, Imaging, Mine-Countermeasure, Miniature Uuv, Underwater Reconnaissance
