Announced at the Oceanology International 2016 event in London, Deep Ocean Engineering Inc.'s newest underwater vehicle, The Deep Ocean Phantom FlyImager revolutionary underwater drone is a hybrid system, co-developed with EdgeTech, that allows the user to utilize a sophisticated side scan sonar system, the EdgeTech 4125, combined with the functionality of the powerful, versatile and rugged Phantom T5 ROV underwater drone.
What makes this new system unique is that the side scan sonar system can be pulled behind a powered surface vessel as a towfish while scanning using “wings” that provide stability and constant depth control. This side scan system provides long range acoustic imaging in the water column to find targets. Once the target is identified, the “wings” are retracted and the underwater drone is converted from a towfish to a free flying ROV for close up optical imaging of the target.
The Phantom FlyImager hybrid drone is designed to be converted to an ROV from a side scan system to become capable of taking immediate action based on real-time data retrieved and analyzed using the side scan sonar by utilizing a single deployed vessel, thereby eliminating the need to deploy a passive side scan sonar unit and separate ROV.
